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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Saint-Gilles de Cazideroque Church, located in the Lot-et-Garonne department, is a Catholic religious building dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. It belongs to a Romanesque architectural ensemble characterized by bedsides adorned with perforated metopes, specific to the border zone between Quercy and Agenas. Its classical plan, with a nave of four vaulted spans in a full-fine cradle, and its slightly narrower choir, reflect the original arrangements of this period.

Over the centuries, the church has undergone several notable changes. A bell tower was added to the southwest between the late 15th and early 16th centuries, while repairs were undertaken in 1740, as evidenced by the award to Pierre Glady. The western gate, originally walled, was restored in 1848, followed by a series of major renovations between 1855 and 1862, including the vault of the nave, the construction of a stand and the addition of an arrow on the bell tower.

Subsequent interventions, such as the reconstruction of the lateral porch in 1892 by the architect Adolphe Gilles or the construction of the sacristy in 1875 by Léon Vigier, marked the evolution of the building. The church was finally listed as historic monuments on May 21, 1957, recognizing its heritage value. The coat of arms of Monsignor Charles Coeuret-Varin, bishop of Agen from 1885 to 1905, visible on the key of the double arch of the nave, attest to the interior works carried out at the end of the nineteenth century.

Architecturally, the church is distinguished by its limestone walls, its bays inscribed in arches resting on carved capitals, and its spiral staircase serving the rostrum and bell tower. The decoration of the choir's capitals and the reverse of the western portal confirm its dating in the first half of the 12th century. The restorations of the 1990s preserved this Romanesque heritage, while revealing elements such as the original pavement, restored after a disbursing of the soil.

Under the Old Regime, the church played a central role in the community life of Cazideroque, serving both as a place of worship and as a gathering for the inhabitants. Its geographical position, at the edge of Quercy and Agenese, also made it a landmark in a territory marked by cultural and commercial exchanges between these two regions. Architectural changes reflect liturgical needs and stylistic changes, while at the same time attesting to the local attachment to this heritage.

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