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Origin and history

The Chapel Saint-Roch d'Autoire is a Catholic religious building built between the 4th quarter of the 15th century and the 1st quarter of the 16th century. It is located in the village of Autoire, in the Lot department, in the Occitanie region. Its origin is probably linked to an epidemic of plague, as evidenced by the inscription "St ROCH FOR THE PEST" engraved on the lintel of the west gate. Saint Roch, patron saint of the pestiferous, gives his name to this place of devotion, erected as an ex-voto by the community or a local lord.

The chapel was built by a member of the family of Banze, lords of Autoire, whose coats of arms are among the interior painted decorations. These murals, dating from the late Middle Ages, illustrate a simple iconographic program: saints aligned on the side walls, reflecting the devotional practices of the time. The quadrangular building houses a stone altar, typical of small rural chapels for collective prayer or processions.

Ranked as historical monuments since 31 December 2014, Saint-Roch Chapel is now owned by the commune of Autoire. Its architecture and painted decorations make it a rare testimony of the local religious art of the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Sources also mention its potential role in local memory of epidemics, although the precise records of its initial use remain fragmentary.

Bibliographic references, such as Colette Chantraine (1994) or the study led by Nicolas Bru (2012), highlight his heritage interest. The murals, studied as part of the Lot's polychrome heritage, are cited as a remarkable example of provincial sacred art. The chapel is now accessible to the public, although its state of conservation and visiting procedures are not detailed in the available sources.

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