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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of St Peter, built in red sandstone in the late 11th and 12th centuries, embodies limousine Romanesque architecture. Its bell tower, typical of the buildings of the region with its two square floors surmounted by octagonal levels, dates from the beginning of the 12th century. Only four copies of this type of bell tower remain today. The portal, decorated with a white limestone tympanum carved in the 12th century by Toulouse artists, represents the Ascension of Christ or his Return. This tympanum, hidden during the religious wars to protect it from the Huguenots, was resettled in 1923.

At the end of the 14th century, the church was fortified and enlarged with a second nave and a second bell tower, giving it an irregular plan. Four chapels, added in the 15th and 16th centuries, enrich its interior, while a square tower (the watchtower's tower) is erected to the south during the Wars of Religion. These changes reflect the religious tensions of the time, with Catholic and Protestant cults coexisting in distinct spaces, according to local tradition.

The church, threatened with ruin at the end of the 19th century after the economic decline of Collonges (due to phylloxera and rural exodus), was saved by its classification as Historic Monuments in 1905. The successive restorations (1923, 1984-1985) preserved its exceptional furnishings: 17th and 19th century altars, wooden statues (including a 16th century Christ laying), and a carved chapel fence. Its interior blends stripped Romanesque nave and Gothic nave illuminated with stained glass, testifying to its architectural evolution.

The tympanum, a masterpiece of Romanesque art, is inspired by that of Cahors Cathedral. His half-relief sculptures, divided into two registers, represent Christ surrounded by angels and the Virgin with the apostles. The portal's capitals, including an original of a bear display, date from the 12th century or were restored in the 20th century. These artistic details highlight the cultural exchanges between Limousin, Toulouse and Quercy at that time.

The Church of St Peter also illustrates the military and religious history of the region. Fortified twice (XIV and XVI centuries), it served as a refuge during conflicts. Local traditions evoke mutual disturbances between Catholics and Protestants during the services, reflecting the divisions of society. Its ranking in 1905 marked a turning point in the preservation of the French rural heritage, which was often neglected.

Today, the building attracts for its hybrid architecture (Romanesque, Gothic, defensive) and its classified furniture. The Virgin of Pitié (17th-15th century), the Virgin with Child (18th century), and the golden wooden altarpiece of the Passion (17th century) are among its treasures. Its red sandstone, characteristic of the Collonges-la-Rouge buildings, earned it the nickname "Red Bead of the Limousin".

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