Destruction of the Church 1382 (≈ 1382)
Ordained by the Marquis de Beaufort.
1384
Reconstruction in one year
Reconstruction in one year 1384 (≈ 1384)
By order of the bishop after excommunication.
4e quart XIVe siècle
Initial construction period
Initial construction period 4e quart XIVe siècle (≈ 1487)
Gothic rural style rouergat.
29 décembre 1978
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 29 décembre 1978 (≈ 1978)
Registered by ministerial decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Church of Aurelle (former) (Box E 139): inscription by decree of 29 December 1978
Key figures
Marquis de Beaufort - Baron d'Aurelle and local lord
Ordained destruction in 1382.
Évêque [non nommé] - Local Church Authority
Excommunicated the Marquis and imposed reconstruction.
Origin and history
The church of St. Peter d'Aurelle, located in Aurelle-Verlac (Aveyron, Occitanie), was built in the fourth quarter of the 14th century, after a violent episode marked by its destruction in 1382. The Marquis de Beaufort, Baron d'Aurelle, ordered his demolition on the pretext of the arrival of the English, before being forced by the local bishop to rebuild it in a year (completed in 1384). The building reused ancient elements and was erected in the heart of the village, becoming the parish center of a hamlet that is now extinct.
Architecturally, the church has a three-span nave extended by a choir and a vaulted apse in cul-de-four. Its western façade has a Gothic portal, while a openworked bell tower-wall, with a four-paned roof, overlooks the junction between the nave and the abside. The roof, covered with lauze (typical flat stones), and vaulted abside reflect local techniques. Classified as a Historical Monument in 1978, it illustrates the adaptation of Gothic forms to the rural constraints of the Rouergue.
The history of the church is linked to political-religious issues: the initial destruction by the Marquis de Beaufort, followed by his excommunication, reveals the tensions between seigneurial power and ecclesiastical authority at the end of the Middle Ages. Rapid reconstruction (1384) also symbolizes the resilience of local communities, dependent on their place of worship for social and spiritual life. Today, the building remains a material testimony of this troubled period, between wars and reconstruction.
The exact location of the church, reported in the Merimée base under the code Insee 12224, corresponds to the address 12130 Aurelle-Verlac, although approximate GPS coordinates place it near Saint-Geniez-d Its simple design (single nave, semicircular apse) and its sober decor (Gothic gate, lauze) make it a typical example of the small rural churches of Aveyron, adapted to the local resources and needs of a modest parish, which has now disappeared.
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