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Origin and history

The Saint-Roman church of Targon, located in the Gironde department in New Aquitaine, is a Catholic building whose origins may date back to the 12th century. Built in Romanesque style, it would have been built by the Montarouch Templars before being dependent on the Abbey of La Sauve-Majeure. At the time, it consisted of a single rectangular nave and a vaulted apse in a cul-de-four, with a south side door. Its initial architecture reflected the influence of La Sauve-Majeure's workshops, visible in the still partially preserved Romanesque capitals and modillons.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the church underwent major enlargements: the addition of a gothic side, a bell tower (circa 1623) and a sacristy (circa 1640). The bell tower, square and equipped with three bells including a fondue in 1505 or 1517, was raised from a vault during the Wars of Religion, equipped with murderers. The Renaissance scallops in the northeast and southwest angles, as well as the carved modillons (some with obscene or symbolic connotations), illustrate this period of transition between the Middle Ages and the modern era. In 1673, the upper part of the bell tower was completed, marking the end of the major works.

In the 19th century, a neo-Gothic restoration (1877–88) radically transformed the nave, vaulted and reworked, while the portal capitals and modillons were reworked. Despite these modifications, Romanesque elements remain, such as the logger's metope or the portal's vestures adorned with allegorical figures (luxury, anger, greed). The building, classified as a historical monument in 1925, also houses a 16th century layer, probably that of a knight of the order of St John of Jerusalem, now masked by an organ.

The iconography of the church, rich in symbols, mixes biblical scenes (Adoration of the Magi, Fall of Adam and Eve) and moralistic representations. The choir's capitals, inspired by La Sauve-Majeure, oppose redemption to the fall, while the modillons, typical of Romanesque art, depict vices and virtues. The stained glass windows, the work of the master glassmaker Gustave Pierre Dagrant (1839–1915), complete this artistic heritage.

The Saint-Romain church thus embodies almost nine centuries of history, from templars to modern restorations, religious conflicts and architectural developments. Its fortified bell tower, Romanesque sculptures and Renaissance additions make it a privileged witness to the Aquitaine heritage.

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