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Origin and history

Saint-Clément de Cézac Church is a Catholic church in the Lot department, in the commune of Cézac, in the Occitanie region. Mentioned from the 13th century, it was rebuilt in the 15th century, when most of its current architecture dates back. Its Latin cross plan includes a rectangular nave, a northern chapel, and a vaulted choir d'ogives falling back on lamp-ends. The portal, topped by a third-point arch decorated with mouldings, and the low bell tower, dating perhaps from the eighteenth century, complete its distinctive appearance.

The building was listed as historic monuments on 29 March 1929. Several objects of his furniture are referenced in the Palissy base. A notable feature is his bell, recast in 1875, bearing two verses attributed to the poet Clement Marot: "I had the tongue hanged in the middle of my body. I call the living and ring for the dead." The local tradition also evokes a link between Clement Marot's father and a hamlet close to the church.

The square bedside, vaulted dogives and surmounted by a bell tower, as well as the single ceiling nave, reflect medieval changes. A chapel opens on the nave on the north side, with an arch decorated with barked sticks. Outside, stone waiting on the south elevation suggests an unfinished second chapel project. The interior decoration, including the dogive cross-sections and carved motifs, makes it possible to date most of the building from the last quarter of the 15th century, although the abside may be slightly anterior.

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