Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Nazaire church of Saint-Nazaire-de-Valentane has its origins in the 12th century, with a Romanesque structure marked by a semicircular apse and a arched square choir. This choir supports a bell tower whose characteristic groined berries were later added. The cul-de-four vaulted L The original axial window, framed with columns carved with animal motifs, was transformed into a niche. Outside, the cornice has now disappeared.

In the 15th century, a seigneurial chapel was attached to the choir, covered with a cross of threaded tores and decorated with foliage capitals. This chapel, today sacristy, bears witness to the late Gothic influence. The nave, vaulted with a cradle panelling, was flanked in the 16th century by a collateral on its right side, reflecting an expansion of the building. Finally, the western facade and the bell tower, which were remodeled in 1878, present an unfinished square tower, without crowning, illustrating the 19th century interventions.

The church, erected as a priory in the 16th century, preserves heteroclite elements: a Romanesque choir, a 15th century seigneurial chapel, and modern additions. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1979, it belongs to the commune and embodies medieval and modern architectural evolutions in Occitanie. Its present state is the result of successive transformations, from its Romanesque origin to 19th-century restorations.

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