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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Pierre de La Réole, located in the Gironde department, finds its origins in the 12th century with an initial construction in Romanesque style. Accelerated to the local Benedictine priory, it was severely damaged in 1577 by Huguenot troops during the Wars of Religion, resulting in its almost total destruction. This first building, simple in its structure with an apparent structure except for the vaulted sanctuary, was replaced under the impulse of the English, who considered its location incompatible with the citadel built by Henry II.

Rebuilt in the 17th century in a Gothic style marked by a flamboyant lateral portal, the church adopted a unique nave with three spans. Work continued with the vault of the nave, carried out between 1685 and 1687, supported by columns with capitals decorated with fantastic animals. The lateral chapels, including that of the south transept founded in 1437, preserve carved arch keys and frescoes narrate the life of Saint Peter. The priory, for his part, was abandoned at the Revolution, the church being turned into a forage hall and then a temple of Reason.

Ranked a historical monument in 1846, the church experienced vicissitudes such as the dismantling of its organ in 1812, the elements of which were scattered between the cathedrals of Bordeaux. Restored in 2015, this organ marks the return to an uninterrupted cult vocation since 1839, when it became a parish church again. The frescoes, the galleries surrounding the choir and the painted lateral altars still bear witness to its rich artistic and religious past.

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