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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Saint-Avit Church, located in Lacapelle-Biron in the Lot-et-Garonne department, is a 13th-century Catholic religious building. It was slightly modified in the 15th century, keeping its original plan: a rectangular nave and a vaulted choir in cul-de-four. Its barlong bell tower, with a pyramidal roof, and its two bays transformed in the 15th century testify to these architectural developments. According to the oral tradition, the artisan and writer Bernard Palissy was baptized there, although this information is more a local legend.

Classified as a historical monument by decree of 17 June 1954, the church now belongs to the commune. Its general condition remains close to its medieval conception, with the exception of minor developments of the 15th century. The site, located in the hamlet of Saint-Avit, is mentioned in 19th-century works, such as those of Georges Tholin, who studied the religious architecture of the Agenais. The priory, attested in 1520, emphasizes its past importance in the regional ecclesiastical network.

The building illustrates the Romanesque heritage of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, marked by structural sobriety and integration into the rural landscape. The available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum, Mérimée base) confirm its ranking and precise location, while stressing its role in the collective memory, especially through the figure of Bernard Palissy. However, there is no documentary evidence to validate his baptism on the spot, based on an oral tradition transmitted over the centuries.

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