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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Saturnin church of Belpech, located in the Audois Lauragais, is a Romanesque building built in the 12th century, as evidenced by its marble portal dated 1162 by an inscription under the cornice. This portal, classified as a historical monument since 1906, is uniquely divided by its four pairs of columns with capitals carved by horsemen, monsters and sirens, as well as by a frieze narrating the handing over of the keys to Saint Peter. The archivolt, adorned with hippocampes, is surmounted by a chrism and bas-reliefs of the Annunciation, the whole capped by a five-bay bell tower.

In the 14th century, the Romanesque church, which had become too small, was partially replaced by an unfinished Gothic building, however preserving the Romanesque nave as chapel Saint-Michel. The chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, added at the end of the 15th century, houses an altar of the 15th century surrounded by seven characters burying Christ, as well as angels carrying the instruments of the Passion. Ranked in 1906, it is closed by a wrought iron grid of the 15th century and decorated with 18th century grey paints, perhaps superimposed on a Renaissance decor.

The church, built of brick with cut stone elements (pillars, capitals), was inscribed in full in 2023, including the room of patronage. Its monumental oculus and bell tower-wall, typical of southern Romanesque architecture, illustrate the evolution of the site over nearly four centuries. The family of Clavery, mentioned as possible sponsor of the chapel, reportedly established its burial there.

The portal, devoid of vantail, served as a passage, emphasizing its central role in medieval community life. The carved models of animal heads and the rinsels of the tiles reflect the Roman-Language artistic influence, while the modern vaults of the Gothic nave contrast with the original Romanesque structures.

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