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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Romain de Lastreilles, located in Saint-Front-sur-Lémance (Lot-et-Garonne), finds its origins in the 11th century, although its main period of construction is dated to the Middle Ages and the first quarter of the 16th century. The site is linked to the Castrum de Lastreilles, mentioned from 1271, located 450 meters from the church. The parish seems to precede the castrum, and the church of Bonaguil was probably an annex to it at the beginning of the sixteenth century. The northern chapel, dedicated to local lords, was added in 1521, as evidenced by a commemorative inscription.

The architecture of the church combines Romanesque elements (a unique nave of 4 spans, apse bedside) and flamboyant Gothics (northern chapel vaulted with dogive crosses, decorated with dragons and a Saint James shell). A 16th century bas-relief, with the arms of the Fumel Montaigu, lords of Lastreilles, adorns the northern lateral altar. The chapel, illuminated by flamboyant windows, once depended on the nearby castle, now demolished.

Major restorations took place in the 19th century: the nave vault and the bell tower were rebuilt in 1879 by the architect Adolphe Gilles and the mason Jean Carles, while the sacristy was rebuilt in 1899 by the entrepreneur Boursinhac. The church, protected as a Historic Monument since 1950, preserves traces of its old lauze roof, mentioned in 1898. Its history reflects the evolution of a rural place of worship, marked by seigneurial influences and architectural adaptations.

The site of Lastreilles, halfway between Saint-Front-sur-Lémance and Bonaguil, also illustrates the local medieval dynamics, where castrums, parishes and castles structured the territory. The church, a communal property, remains an example of a hybrid religious building, mixing Romanesque heritage and Renaissance additions.

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