Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Larrazet, built in the 14th and 15th centuries, presents a vaulted rectangular plan, with a nave illuminated by ogival bays. Its characteristic bell tower rises in a square tower up to a corbelled gallery, then turns into an octagon on the upper floors, pierced by windows formerly decorated with shrouds. The sanctuary houses a monumental altarpiece, while side chapels, including a sacristy, complete the architectural complex.

The building was partially rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century under the impulse of Jean de Cardaillac, Abbé de Belleperche, with vaults completed in 1530. Damaged in 1561, probably during the Wars of Religion, the church underwent restorations in 1607, then major works between 1923 and 1972. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1912, it illustrates the architectural evolution and vicissitudes of an Occitan religious heritage.

The bell tower, a remarkable element, combines a square base and an octagonal upper part, decorated with pinacles at angles. The windows, now without their original networks, bear witness to a late Gothic style. The lateral chapels, backed to the north, reflect later additions, while the altarpiece of the sanctuary emphasizes the liturgical importance of the building.

The location of the church, in the village of Larrazet (Tarn-et-Garonne), makes it a historical landmark of medieval and modern Occitanie. Its classification in 1912 and subsequent restoration campaigns underline its heritage value, linked to both its architecture and its role in the local community.

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