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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens, located in the hamlet of Cabans on the commune of Buisson-de-Cadouin (Dordogne), finds its origins in the 12th century, although its current Gothic architecture dates mainly from the 14th century. It was enlarged in the 16th century by the addition of two side chapels, forming a false transept. Until 1875, it served as a parish church, before the town of Buisson became the administrative and religious center of the commune, notably after the arrival of the railway (Périgueux-Agen line) and the construction of a new church. Disused in 1880, it was returned to worship in 1959.

The building, facing east-west, is distinguished by its massive buttress bell tower, one of which houses a staircase tower leading to the bells. The gate, adorned with three vestures, gives access to a narthex housing a baptistery on the ground in pise. The nave, divided into three vaulted spans into broken cradles (recast in the 14th century), leads to a low chorus finished with a flat bedside. The lateral chapels, added in the 16th century, are partially covered with lauze. The church has been listed as historical monuments since 18 September 1970.

Its history is linked to the abbey of Cadouin, mentioned in medieval cartulars: white monks owned lands free of tithes, and the church served as a place for solemn acts. After its decommissioning, it was preserved as a witness to the religious and architectural heritage of Bergerac, an area marked by the influence of monastic orders and local seigneuries.

Today, the church of Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens remains a characteristic example of the evolution of religious buildings in Périgord, mixing Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements. Its adjacent cemetery and its position on the left bank of the Dordogne make it a historical and picturesque site, anchored in the cultural landscape of New Aquitaine.

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