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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Romain de Caldégas, mentioned in the 10th century in the "Act of Consecration of the Cathedral of the Seu d'Urgell", has its origin in a medieval religious context. The present building, built in the 11th century, preserves characteristic elements of the "first Romanesque art" or "Lombard Romanesque art", such as its nightstand decorated with Lombard bands. Lateral chapels and sacristy, added in the 18th century, bear witness to later architectural evolutions.

The bedside, composed of a unique apse, is decorated with three arches per Lombard strip, typical of the region. The western facade supports a three-bay bell tower, similar to those of the nearby churches of Llo and Angustrine. Inside, 13th-century wall paintings, discovered in 1950 under coatings, enrich the building's artistic heritage. These frescoes, made in the wet, adorn the cul-de-four of the apse.

Ranked a historic monument on 7 March 1952, the church underwent structural changes, such as the elevation of the dropural walls in 1936 to support a new structure. The south gate, protected by an awning, and the lateral niches dug around 1720 reflect liturgical and climatic adaptations. The bell tower, partly made of stone, suggests a post-nave construction, illustrating an evolution of local techniques.

The building, a communal property, is part of the religious landscape of Cerdagne, a region marked by cultural exchanges between Catalonia and Languedoc. Its architecture, combining robustness and sober decoration, bears witness to the importance of rural churches in medieval organization. The Lombard bands and the bell tower-wall, which are recurrent elements in the region, highlight an artistic identity shared with other Pyrenean shrines.

Historical sources, such as the work of Noël Bailbé and Géraldine Mallet, highlight the role of these churches in the medieval Roussillon. The church of Saint-Romain, by its conservation and its peculiarities (walls poured inside, vaults in cradle), offers a remarkable example of the adaptation of Romanesque forms to local, geographical and community constraints.

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