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Origin and history

The church Saint-Basile de Lusignan-Grand, located in the village of Lusignan-Grand on the commune of Saint-Hilaire-de-Lusignan (Lot-et-Garonne), is a religious building marked by various architectural influences. His choir, in Romanesque style, is arched in cul-de-four and adorned with external blind archatures, supported by carved crows resting on a frieze decorated with billets. This choir, probably enhanced, contrasts with the Gothic nave, vaulted on dogive crosses and composed of two spans. One of these houses two chapels, one of which is reserved for local lords and their family burial. A crypt, decorated with frescoes, and a fortified room above the choir, pierced by murderers, recall its protective role in times of conflict.

The proximity of the church to the old castle of Lusignan, destroyed in 1649 by the Duke of Epernon, underscores its strategic and social importance. A circular opening near the gallery allowed the lords to attend the offices from the castle, illustrating the close links between religious power and nobility. The nave and chapels, dated from the 14th and 16th centuries, reflect late additions, while the entrance door under the porch could date from the 17th century. Since 20 June 1950, the church has been listed as a historical monument, embodying both an architectural heritage and a witness to the region's historical tensions.

The frescoes of the crypt and the defensive elements, like the murderers, evoke a time when churches also served as refuges. The site, owned by the commune, preserves traces of its medieval and reborn past, between spirituality and seigneurial power. The sources, notably the works of Georges Tholin (1874) and Anne-Marie Labit (1967), underline his historical interest, supplemented by precise architectural descriptions from the Mérimée and Monumentum bases.

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