Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Martin de Lugasson, located in the Gironde department, finds its origins in the 12th century with an initial Romanesque construction. It was then composed of a unique rectangular nave, not arched, finished with a flat bedside decorated with bays in the middle of the hanger. The portal, richly decorated with geometric motifs (broken sticks, wolf teeth, etc.), fell on columns and a pedestal. The tympanum, once figurative, was destroyed in 1793, as were the historic capitals, hammered at the same time. The vestiges of sculptures on the north ebrasement leave a doubt about their interpretation: purification of Mary or Adoration of the Magi kings.

At the end of the Middle Ages, between the 15th and 16th centuries, the church was remodeled in a late Gothic style. A bell tower with two campanary bays and a triangular gable were added, accompanied by a foothill and an inner staircase turret. A north side, with geminied bays, was built, and the nave and the lower side were vaulted. The arch keys, decorated with religious motifs (saint Laurent, Saint Barbe) or celestial (sun, stars), reflect this period. The building was also fortified, as evidenced by a scald at the southwest corner, revealing a historical context marked by tensions.

In the 18th century, minor modifications were made, such as adding a porch in front of the gate, a sacristy, and a south side door. The arcade bell tower also dates back to that time. The church, classified as a historical monument in 1925, preserves remarkable elements such as a canonial dial on the southern facade and traces of its defensive past. Its architecture thus combines Romanesque heritage, Gothic transformations and subsequent adaptations, illustrating the evolution of the liturgical and security needs of the local community.

Historical sources, including Christian Bougoux's work, underline the iconographic importance of the building in the Entre-deux-Mers. The local association A.S.P.E.C.T. is now contributing to its preservation, highlighting a religious, artistic and defensive heritage, witness to the political and cultural upheavals of the Gironde throughout the centuries.

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