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Origin and history

The Saint-Roman Church of Chirac is a Roman Catholic church located in the village of Chirac in the Occitan region of Lozère. Built mainly in the 12th century in a Romanesque style, it is distinguished by its two-sided nave, semicircular apse and absence of transept. Initially, the plan provided for two apsidioles at the ends of the collaterals, but only the one from the north was partially realized before being replaced by a chapel in the 15th century, while the southern apsidiole gave way to an atypical bell tower-porch, erected on the last span of the south side.

The building underwent major modifications in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 14th century, a low span was added to the west of the nave, as well as a stand supported by massive batteries. Two chapels were set up to the north, and the vault of the last span of the southern lower side was redone. In the 15th century, a southern chapel replaced the northern apsidiole originally planned, and the bell tower was raised by two floors. The church was given in 1155 to the abbey of Saint-Victor in Marseilles by the bishop of Mende, then integrating the priory of the Monastier. In 1562 it was burned by the Calvinists, who founded its bells and damaged the city.

Ranked a historic monument in 1922, Saint-Romain church illustrates medieval architectural developments in Gévaudan. Its bell tower-porch, its walled portal and its side chapels reflect the successive adaptations to liturgical needs and historical contexts, including the religious conflicts of the sixteenth century. Today owned by the municipality of Chirac, it remains a major testimony of the Romanesque and Gothic heritage of the Lozère.

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