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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Martin de Besse, located in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, is a religious building with medieval origins. Built at the end of the 11th century as Benedictine priory, it was then entrusted to Augustins in the 13th century. Its architecture combines a 12th century Romanesque nave, partially raised by a defence chamber during the Hundred Years War, and a 15th century Gothic transept-chœur. The church, backed by the old castle of Besse, played a crucial defensive role against the English, as evidenced by its archeries and hoards.

The western portal, a sculptured masterpiece, illustrates biblical scenes (fall of Adam and Eve, vision of Isaiah, Saint Michael terrorizing the dragon) and the legend of Saint Eustache. These sculptures, organized in yousures and losnge pediment, symbolize Redemption. Inside, the southern crusillon reveals 16th-century murals, discovered in 1961 but partially damaged during their unauthorized clearance. They represent scenes of the Passion (Christ outraged, Arrest at the Jardin des Oliviers).

Ranked a historic monument in 1912, the church was restored in 1648 with materials from the old adjacent castle. In the 19th century, a sacristy was added. The site, a communal property, embodies both a place of worship, a fortress and a seigneurial mausoleum: the choir housed the funeral chapel of the Besse family. The remains of the nearby castle and architectural changes reflect the political and military upheavals of the Périgord, between feudal conflicts and the Hundred Years War.

The history of Besse and his church is marked by the postwar abandonment of Cent Years, described in 1454 by a notary of Gourdon as a village "which became all infertile and deposed of inhabitants". To repopulate him, Raymond-Bernard de Gauléjac, a chestnut, brought in settlers from Quercy and Rouergue. This decline contrasts with the strategic role of the site during the hostilities, where the fortified assembly (church + castle) allowed to repel the English assaults.

The archaeological and historical sources (searches, archives, studies like those of Jean Secret or Pierre Dubourg-Noves) underline the heritage importance of the site. The paintings of the south crusillon, although degraded, offer a rare example of religious wall art of the Renaissance in Périgord. Their iconography and style suggest a realization around 1520–30, linked to local devotion and seigneurial patronage.

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