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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Étienne de Tauriac, located in Gironde, finds its origins in an ancient occupation of the site, attested from the 5th–VIth century. In 615, the villa Tauriaca was ceded by Aldéric to Bertram, bishop of Le Mans and then Bordeaux, suggesting the existence of an early chapel before the year 1000. The present building, dedicated to St Stephen, the first Christian martyr, preserves major Romanesque remains: the apse and the north wall (XI century), as well as the front of the early XII, Romanesque style Saintonge. Only the facade (without bell tower), the first span of the nave and the back of the choir remain intact today.

In the 16th century, the Wars of Religion marked the church by the addition of a defensive to lethal porch, dismantled in 1875. The square bell tower, collapsed in 1689, partially destroyed the southern nave and damaged the bedside; The repairs ended in 1731, as evidenced by the date engraved on a foothill. In the absence of reconstruction, a bell was installed under the porch and then integrated into the gable wall transformed into a bell tower in the 19th century. This wall was modified in 1854 to accommodate a new bell, while that of 1903 was still in place.

The 19th century saw a profound redevelopment: in 1838, a baptismal chapel was added, and between 1845–57, architect Labbé removed the wall separating nave and apse, restoring the initial surface. In 1852, the ground was enhanced by 80 cm, burying the stone benches. From 1885 to 1890, two side chapels (Saint Stephen and Virgin) were built, the beams hidden under a plaster vault, and the windows decorated with moulds. The interior decorations, like the frescoes of the choir, reflect the tastes of the era, before the choir was restored in 1956 to regain its Romanesque appearance.

The stained glass windows played a significant role: in 1897, the Romanesque bays were enlarged for stained glass windows signed by Henri Feur and Gustave Pierre Dagrant (Bordeaux), replaced in 1970–71 by works by Raymond Mirande. Archaeological excavations, opened in 1956 and then in 1989, reveal traces of the ancient occupation, although the results remain partially exploited. Ranked as a Historic Monument in 2005, the church thus illustrates a complex stratigraphy, from paleo-Christian origins to modern transformations.

The western façade, a Romanesque jewel, presents a portal in the middle of a circle framed by blind archatures with carved capitals, topped by a cornice with modillons. The tympanos, such as the Agnus Dei (south) or the casquered rider (north, perhaps Constantine I), and the historic capitals (martyra of St Stephen, bicorporeal lions symbolizing lust), bear witness to a rich and moralizing iconography. Modillons, representing musicians or evil masks, reinforce this message against capital sins, typical of Roman art.

Inside, the capitals of the nave, like those of the double oriental arcades, combine plant decorations and historied scenes. The southern capital, representing the martyrdom of St Stephen, shows the saint in prayer surrounded by stoners, while angels carry his soul. These elements, combined with stained glass windows and redevelopments, make the church an architectural palimpsest, where each era has left its mark, from medieval foundations to contemporary restorations.

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