Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Cyr church of Vesdun, mentioned in 1115 in a pontifical bubble as well as the Abbey of Deols, was originally the Conventual church of a Benedictine priory-curtain. The Romanesque building, without transept, consists of a rectangular nave extended by a flat apse, both dating from the second half of the 12th century. His frescoes, discovered in 1994 during restorations, illustrate scenes of Christ's childhood and adorn the vault of the choir.

In the 16th century, the church underwent major changes: a lateral chapel dedicated to the Virgin (formerly Saint-Antoine) was added to the south by Antoine Goutault, the last Benedictine prior, and the nave was covered with a vault in a crib. In 1569, after the fire of the parish church of Saint-Symphorien by Protestant troops, Saint-Cyr became the parish church of Vesdun. The current bell tower, built in 1861, houses a historic bell engraved with the names of the local patron saints.

The historic capitals of the apse and the modern stained glass windows of Jean Mauret (baies 0, 1, 2 and 100) complete this heritage. These stained glass windows, in warm tones, interact with the 12th century Romanesque frescoes, classified among the remarkable medieval painted decorations of the region. The building, a communal property, has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1994 for its architecture and painted decoration.

The history of the church reflects local religious upheavals: the transition from Benedictine worship to parish function after the Wars of Religion, and architectural adaptations (renaissance chapel, 19th century bell tower). The polychrome wooden statues (14th-15th centuries) and the commemorative plaque of Antoine Goutault testify to its evolution throughout the centuries.

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