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Origin and history

The Saint-Blaise de Boudy church, located in Boudy-de-Beauregard in Lot-et-Garonne, is a building whose origins probably date back to the 12th century, as evidenced by the apparatus of the choir. The latter, of semicircular shape, is arched in cul-de-four, a characteristic characteristic of Romanesque architecture. The church underwent restorations in the 14th or 15th centuries, visible especially in the chamfreined days of the bedside and a niche-credence. These changes reflect late medieval adaptations, often linked to liturgical or defensive needs.

After the Wars of Religion, the building was radically redesigned. The south windows of the nave, pierced in the seventeenth century, and the north porch, date from this period of reconstruction. The triangular bell tower, mentioned until 1682, subsequently disappeared, without the sources specifying the causes. In the 18th century, the walls of the choir were enhanced and a sacristy was added against the southern bedside, marking a new phase of development. This work probably reflected the evolution of religious practices or structural imperatives.

The 19th century brought a singular touch to the church with the creation in 1835 of a naive decoration in the choir. The latter represents God the Father as a bearded figure, accompanied by the dove of the Holy Spirit, painted on the cul-de-four. Two lateral altars were also installed at that time. These elements illustrate the influence of popular and religious artistic movements of the early nineteenth century, often marked by a return to more accessible expressions of faith. The church, now listed as historical monuments since 1996, thus preserves traces of nearly nine centuries of history.

Under the Ancien Régime, Boudy was a parish priest of Villeréal, abolished in 1792 and attached to the parish of Saint-Sulpice de Caillac in 1805. These administrative changes reflect the religious and political upheavals of the French Revolution and the Empire. The map of Belleyme, at the end of the 18th century, designates it as Saint-Blaise des Monts, highlighting its geographical and historical anchor in the region.

The building is also distinguished by architectural elements in use, such as a curved monolithic lintel integrated into the bedside masonry. This type of material reuse, common in the Middle Ages, suggests continuity between the different phases of construction. The successive changes — from the Wars of Religion to the additions of the 19th century — make this church a composite witness to the artistic, religious and social evolutions of the region.

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