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Origin and history

The Saint-Rémi church of Bordeaux, located on Rue Jouannet in the Saint-Pierre district, is a Romanesque building, partially rebuilt in the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries in Gothic style. It is distinguished by its elongated plane, composed of two main naves and two narrower lateral naves, completed by polygonal apses. An architectural peculiarity lies in the southern nave, which has only one point of intermediate support on one side and three on the other. The church, now surrounded by 19th-century houses, retains a partially visible façade and a 14th-century bell tower, partially derailed. Its history dates back to a local tradition placing it at the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Jupiter, near a Roman wall.

During archaeological excavations conducted in 1866, an underground room decorated with a Gallo-Roman mosaic was discovered at the eastern end of the south side. Fragments of murals were also discovered near the north bedside and around the sacristy. These findings confirm the former occupation of the site from the Gallo-Roman era. The interior of the church has undergone many changes over the centuries, with the addition of wooden floors and partitions. Today, there is only one span to the west, as well as the original bell tower, bearing witness to its medieval past.

The church Saint-Rémi played a central role in Bordeaux parish life until the French Revolution. In 1791 his constituency was divided into three new parishes: Saint-Dominique (now Notre-Dame church), Saint-Louis des Chartrons, and Saint-Martial (Bacalan). Sold as a national property in 1792 for 107,088 francs, it is then used as a store, stable, and then a stone's reserve of the Aquitaine Museum. Classified as a Historical Monument in 1923, it was rehabilitated in 1998 to become the Saint-Rémi space, a cultural place dedicated to exhibitions and artistic events. Despite this conversion, the building now suffers from problems of humidity and structural fragility.

The church once housed a wooden pulpit carved by Cabirol, now transferred to the Saint Andrew's church in Bordeaux. The parishioners contributed to its decor, as evidenced by the traces of frescoes and still visible sculptures. Under the apses and sacristy, vaults and tombs house the burials of members of ancient Bordeaux families. The building, measuring forty meters long and thirty-four wide, illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of Bordeaux, from Gallo-Roman origins to its contemporary use.

A new Saint-Rémi church, built in 1866 on Achard Street in Bacalan, replaced the old parish, which had become insufficient due to population growth. This new building, with a basilical plan, has a sober facade with a massive pediment supported by doric pilasters. The bell tower, of low height, is located on the south flank. This reconstruction marks the end of the cultural role of the medieval church, now dedicated to Bordeaux culture and heritage.

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