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Origin and history

The Sainte-Anne de Sadillac Church is a Romanesque building built in the 12th and 13th centuries, originally linked to a priory founded by Benedictines of Moissac Abbey from 1079. This monument, located in the south of the Dordogne, illustrates medieval religious architecture with its hemicircular bedside and carved capitals, some of which date from the 12th century. The church was almost entirely destroyed by the Protestants in 1569, then rebuilt at the end of the sixteenth century, before being modified in the nineteenth century, notably with works on its dome in 1890.

The building, listed as a historic monument in 1948, features a restored bell tower wall between 1993 and 1996, where a campanary bay was added to align with Guyenne's regional style. Inside, the nave is accompanied by a side chapel, and the choir, vaulted in cul-de-four, houses finely worked novel capitals, representing animal and plant motifs. The north side of the capitals, redone in 1890, contrasts with the 12th century originals to the south.

The priory, mentioned in 1365 as dependent on Bergerac's chestnut, leaves visible remains, including a 15th century round tower backed by the church. The castle of Sadillac, built in the 16th century on the ruins of the priory, plays a role in local history, while the two bells of the church, Marie (1771) and Elizabeth (2011), testify to its continued use throughout the centuries. The sculptures of capitals, including hippocampes, snakes, and doves, reflect a rich medieval symbolism.

Historical sources, such as the works of M. Ponceau or Évelyne Bermond-Picot, underline the importance of this priory in the monastic network of the Périgord. Recent restorations (1993–1996) have preserved this heritage, while adapting certain elements, such as the bell tower, to reflect regional architectural traditions. Today, the church remains a testimony to religious history and to the conflicts that marked southwestern France.

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