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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Martin de Festalemps, located in the eponymous village of Dordogne (New Aquitaine), is a religious building built in the first half of the 12th century. Its Romanesque architecture is distinguished by a nave of three arched spans, a square forearm surmounted by a dome on pendants, and a semicircular apse adorned with a painted cul-de-four. The columns of the dome, resting on a bench, have carved bases of twin columns, typical of Romanesque art.

During the Hundred Years War (XIVth century), the church was fortified to protect itself from conflicts: a defensive bahut was added above the abside, communicating with the bell tower via a defense chamber. The façade is also rebuilt at that time. The modifications continued in the 18th century, with the addition of paintings adorning the choir. Between 1876 and 1878, a major restoration transformed the nave, the foot of the abside and western access, while preserving the medieval elements.

Classified as a Historical Monument by decree of 17 December 1947, the church illustrates the evolution of a place of worship as a defensive site and then as a preserved heritage. Its bell tower, initially higher, was truncated, while the porch and nave were redone during the 19th century works. The accuracy of its location is considered very satisfactory (note 8/10), and its official address, 12 Place Saint-Roch in Festalemps, makes it a landmark of the Périgord.

The property of the commune, the Saint Martin church now combines Romanesque heritage, military adaptations and modern embellishments. His plan, marked by the dome and the cul-de-four, as well as his paintings of the eighteenth century, make it an architectural and historical testimony of the medieval and post-medieval Dordogne.

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