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Origin and history

Saint-Pierre de Saint-Pey-de-Castets Church, located in the Gironde department in New Aquitaine, is a Catholic building dating back to the 11th century. First built in a Romanesque style, it was largely rebuilt in the 14th century by adopting Gothic elements. Its bell tower, transformed into a tower in the late 15th or early 16th century, now houses the bells. This monument thus illustrates medieval architectural evolution, mixing Romanesque heritage and Gothic innovations.

The church is intimately linked to local history as the major foundation of the Abbey of Sauve-Major in Entre-Deux-Mers. Its southern wall preserves 11th century remains, while the unique nave and flat bedside date back to the 14th century. In the 15th-12th centuries, a north side was added, and the bell tower was raised in a tower. The paintings of the choir, made in the middle of the 19th century, bear witness to later beautifications. Nearby, the remains of a medieval priory, including a cloister and a well, recall its role in monastic and community life.

Ranked among the historical monuments in 1999, the church includes in its protection the remains of the adjacent priory: the former presbytery, a chapel, and the locations of the missing buildings. These elements underline its heritage importance, both as a place of worship and as a trace of the medieval religious organization. The location of the building, south-west of the village and along the departmental road D126, makes it a historical and geographical landmark for the region.

Available sources, including the Merimée and Monumentum bases, confirm its precise address at 17 Route de l'Église and its Insee code (33460), anchoring the monument in the girondin territory. Property shared between the commune and individuals, the church remains a symbol of the religious and architectural heritage of New Aquitaine, open to discovery and preservation.

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