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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre de Cadaujac, located in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, finds its origins at the end of the 10th or early 11th century. It was built in stone, probably after a first evangelization of Cadaujac, then attached to the Jurade of Bordeaux. Among the oldest in the region with the church Saint-Michel de Beautiran, it is distinguished by its proximity to an ancient Roman way. Originally, it presented a unique nave supported by twelve pillars symbolizing the apostles, with massive buttresses to support a vault in the middle of the hangar.

In the 17th century, the church was enlarged in response to Cadaujac's demographic and commercial growth. Two lower sides were added in the extension of the lateral chapels, and the building was inaugurated in 1691 by the Archbishop of Bordeaux. During the Revolution, she was looted and abandoned, losing her treasure, statues and property. In the 19th century, under Napoleon III, major works were undertaken according to the instructions of Viollet-le-Duc: the building was extended, the capitals restored, a bell tower of 33 meters erected, and stained glass. The sacristy, built in 1874, was blessed by Monsignor de la Bouillerie.

The architecture of the church combines Romanesque elements and later additions. It now has three naves and three apses, without transept, with a bedside diverted northward. Opus incertum walls and re-used Gallo-Roman moellons date back to the 11th and 12th centuries. The capitals, mostly of the 19th century, reproduce Romanesque styles (vegetal, historical or symbolic), although six of them, including two clearly novels, remain. The stained glass windows, replaced in 1877 by the Bordeaux master glassmaker Dagrand, illustrate Marian scenes and local saints.

The south portal of the 12th century, with three windows, presents capitals carved with plant and figurative motifs, like a naked man and a lion. The modillons of the apse and the bell tower, typical of Romanesque art, represent moralizing themes (tentation, capital sins). A pilgrimage point of Santiago de Compostela, dating from the Middle Ages, was moved near the entrance in 1967. It bears a cross of Saint Andrew and shells, marking the old boundary of the barony and a crossing point for pilgrims.

The church, built on unstable and moist soil, suffers from historical structural fragility. Successive restorations, especially in the 19th century, altered its appearance while seeking to preserve its Romanesque character. Recent work, at the beginning of the 21st century, demonstrates a continuing commitment to conservation. Its history reflects the religious, political and social upheavals of the region, from its evangelization to its role in the paths of Compostela.

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