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Origin and history

The church Saint-Clair de Fontanes is a parish church located in the village of Fontanes, in the Lot department, in the Occitanie region. Built in the late 15th century, it underwent major modifications in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its interior architecture is particularly remarkable, including its cul-de-four vault and sculpted cul-de-lampe, witness to an influence of the Quercyn school around 1500. The engraved symbols (suns, monograms, lily flowers) reflect the religious and artistic context of the time.

The bell tower, erected in 1734, and the lateral porches, added in 1724, illustrate the Baroque transformations of the 18th century. A part of the building, including the choir and side chapels, dates from the 15th century, however, with dogive vaults and medieval decorative elements. The bell tower was rebuilt in 1851, marking a final phase of construction. The church has been protected as historical monuments since 1978, and several of its movable objects are referenced in the Palissy base.

Originally, the town of Fontanes belonged to the bishops of Cahors in the 13th century, although the present church was after that period. Architectural declines between chapels and nave suggest distinct construction campaigns, combining late Gothic and classical styles. The two cupoliform vaults, probably from the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries, add to the stylistic diversity of the building.

Today, the church of Saint-Clair remains a testimony to the architectural and religious evolutions of Quercy, combining medieval heritage and modern adaptations. Its inscription in historic monuments underscores its heritage importance in the Lot, where it is a visual and cultural landmark for the local community.

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