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Origin and history

The Saint-Dominique church of Monpazier was built at the end of the 13th century, shortly after the foundation of the bastide in 1284 by Edward I, King of England and Duke of Aquitaine. The latter, wishing to affirm his suzeraineté on the Périgord, obtained from Baron de Biron the land to build a new town. The church was mentioned in 1286 in a convention with the consuls, and its completion was imposed on the inhabitants in 1289. It thus embodies the Anglo-Aquitaine political ambitions of the time.

The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) deeply marked the building and the region, bordering between the domains of the kings of France and England. After the destruction, the church was repaired and raised around 1450, with a vaulted nave on a cross of warheads. In 1462 Géraud Maurichon de Périgueux made the structure and covered the building. This work reflects the desire to restore after a century of devastating conflicts.

In 1490, the bishop of Sarlat, Pons de Salignac de La Mothe-Fénelon, authorized the transfer of the chapter of the ruined collegiate church of Capdrot to the church of Saint-Dominique, considered safer and spacious. This trip was accompanied by the construction of a liturgical choir and the installation of oak stalls, carved in the 14th century for Capdrot. These elements, classified in 1971, testify to the religious and artistic importance of the monument.

The wars of Religion in the 16th century brought new troubles. In 1574 the Bastide was taken by the Protestants, and in 1580 the treaty of Fleix provided for its dismantling. Despite these vicissitudes, the church retained its central role, as evidenced by the consecration of a bishop in 1558 and the construction of a new portal that year. The French Revolution left few traces, except for an inscription in the eardrum.

Listed as a historical monument in 1862, the Church of Saint-Dominique houses remarkable furniture, including 14th century stalls, baptismal fonts of the same period, and a wooden statue from the Virgin to the Child (17th century). Its stained glass windows, like the one representing Saint Dominique receiving the Rosary, as well as its history linked to Franco-English conflicts and religious transformations, make it a major heritage of the Dordogne.

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