Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint Vincent, located in the centre of the Mas-d'Agenais (Lot-et-Garonne), was built between the late 11th and early 12th centuries. Its Romanesque architecture is distinguished by historical capitals illustrating vetero-testamentary scenes (absidiole and south side), neo-testamentary (north side and triumphal arch), as well as non-biological narratives in the nave. The 19th century stained glass windows tell the local legend of Saint Vincent du Mas. Ranked as a historical monument in 1840, it bears witness to Romanesque art in Agenais.

The Christ on the Cross of Rembrandt (1631), a painting of private devotion that became emblematic, was offered at the church in 1804 by the Duffour family, originally from the Mas-d-Agenas. Discovered in 1850 in the sacristy, it was restored in Paris before being classified as an object in 1918. This masterpiece, originally intended for a particular collection, illustrates the link between artistic heritage and local history.

The stalls of the choir, realized in 1691 by the workshop Tourned for the Benedictine abbey of La Reole, were transferred to the Mas-d-Agenas around 1803. Of the 63 original stalls (18 high and 13 low on each side), there are still more than 49 today. Ranked in 1840, they bear witness to the know-how of the cabinet-makers of the South-West and the transfers of religious heritage after Revolution.

The building, located in Market Square, embodies both the medieval heritage of the region and the cultural transformations of the 18th to 19th centuries. Its early ranking (1840) underscores its heritage importance, while the presence of major works such as the Rembrandt makes it an artistic and historical pilgrimage site.

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