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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Nicolas de Nerac replaces a Benedictine priory of the eleventh century, whose church, consecrated in 1096, partially collapsed in 1697. Threatened by ruin in 1749, its reconstruction was launched in 1758 under the impetus of local notables and intendant Claude-Louis-Aubert de Tourny. The original plans, entrusted to architect Dauzas, were taken over by François-Dominique Barreau de Chefdeville, a member of neo-classicism, after an interruption of work in 1761. Barreau proposed a Latin cross party inspired by the church of Saint Sulpice in Paris, but his death in 1765 left the site to Oudot de Maclaurin, who simplified the project for budgetary reasons.

The works, financed by local taxes on wine and private donations, resumed in 1771 under the direction of Jean Sauvageot, who completed the vault of the nave (1773-1778) and the lateral chapels. Consecrated in 1787 despite unfinished elements (clochers, capitals), the church became a Temple of the Supreme Being during the Revolution before being returned to Catholic worship in 1795. In the 19th century, the parish priest Joseph-Emmanuel de Vivie completed the campaniles (1855) and decorated the interior with murals by Gustave Lassalle-Bordes (1856) and the stained glass windows by Joseph Villiet, illustrating a strong anti-protestant symbolism in this city marked by Calvinism.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1988, the church combines a rare neo-Palladian architecture in France (first example of the genre) with an interior decor typical of the Second Empire. The stained glass windows, organized around biblical figures foreshadowing the Eucharist, and Magen organ (1852), restored in 1983, bear witness to its central role in the religious and cultural life of Nerac. A fire in 1997 led to a complete restoration, revealing the brilliance of the original colours of the frescoes.

The preserved plans (1761-1771) show the evolution of the project, from steeples inspired by Saint Sulpice to Corinthian capitals added under Napoleon III. The facade, decorated with a colossal ion order and triangular pediment, reflects the influence of the Antiquity, while the lateral chapels, vaulted on Corinthian columns, highlight the geometric rigor of neoclassicism. The building, owned by the commune, remains a major testimony of artistic exchanges between Paris and the province in the Enlightenment century.

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