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Origin and history

Saint-Jean de Saint-Genis-du-Bois Church, located in the Gironde department, is a Roman Catholic religious building built in the 12th century. Its simple plan includes a rectangular nave extended by an apse in narrower hemicycle, typical of Romanesque architecture. The goutreal walls of the nave, built in small, partially rubéfied bellows, bear witness to the use of stones from a Gallo-Roman building dating back to the 11th century. These elements reveal an ancient occupation of the site, prior to the construction of the present church.

The western gate, adorned with four archvolts in the middle of the circle resting on piedroits, has a characteristic Romanesque décor from the years 1125-1150. This decoration is associated with the arrival of the Templars in Saint-Genis-du-Bois, the church and its territory having been given to the military order of the Temple in the 12th century. At the beginning of the 14th century, the site passed under the order of St John of Jerusalem, marking a transition in its religious and military history. It was narrower than the nave and allowed two lateral altars on both sides of the triumphal arch.

The nave frame, dated from the 17th century, required the lowering of the walls about a metre, suggesting a major renovation at this time. The carved farms of this frame indicate that they were intended to be visible, reflecting an aesthetic and functional concern. Wall paintings, dated 1522, adorn the wall separating the nave from the choir and the side walls. These decorations, organized in vertical bands, combine geometric motifs (cruix, sun, rooster) and Maltese cross, symbols linked to religious orders that marked the history of the place.

The vault of the Ibside retains an 18th century painted decoration, while a funerary liter, initially painted in black, runs along the walls of the nave. This liter has three coats of arms of the Counts of Foix-Candale, recalling the historical membership of the territory in Benauges County. The bell tower and porch, built in 1817, testify to more recent restorations. The entire building was listed as historic monuments by order of 21 December 1925, recognizing its heritage value.

The church, located in the heart of the village, illustrates the architectural and religious evolutions of the region, from Gallo-Roman origins to its role in medieval military orders. Its history also reflects local transformations, such as the 17th-century structure or 19th-century restorations, while retaining remarkable Romanesque elements, such as the portal and wall paintings.

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