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Origin and history

Saint Paul de Reilhac Church is a 12th-century Romanesque church located in Champniers-et-Reilhac, Dordogne, north of the department. Built in a typical Limousin and Perigord style, it retained its original architecture despite the collapse of its cradle vault. The building, formerly parish, depended on the Diocese of Limoges and is distinguished by its long rectangular plan of a hemicircular bedside.

The church has been listed as a historic monument since September 8, 1965. It was the object of five years of restoration, with an inauguration planned in July 2025, in the presence of the bishop of Périgueux and Sarlat. Its five-pointed Romanesque portal, carved capitals and a square bell tower above the choir illustrate its preserved architecture.

Saint Paul de Reilhac belonged to the Templars, as evidenced by the presence of Elijah of Chalistrat, Templar priest, during the trial of the order in 1310. After the dissolution of the Templars, she passed to the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem and was attached to the command office of Milhaguet and then to the priory of Bourganeuf. This medieval history enriches its historical heritage.

The building is characterized by a three-span nave, a vaulted choir with a pendant dome, and a semicircular apse decorated with blind arches. The murderous bays illuminating the choir and the limousin-style portal highlight his Romanesque style. The barlong bell tower, atypical, dominates the whole.

Located on the edge of the departmental road 110, the church is a rare example of a rural church that remains intact, with no later additions. Its location in green Perigord and its link with military orders make it an emblematic monument of the region.

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