Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption of Sérignac-sur-Garonne, of Romanesque origin, was built between the 10th and 11th centuries under the name Nostra Dama de Serinhaco, as evidenced by a charter of 1060. Its small stone walls, probably from local Gallo-Roman villas, formed a nave initially covered with frame. The building depended on the priory of Layrac, linked to the Clunisian abbey of Moissac, which explains the breadth of his choir.

In the 12th or 13th century, the semicircular apse (five-sided outside arch) and the span under bell tower (pendant cupola) were added. In 1273 Gaston VII de Béarn and Abbé Gaillard de Figeac founded a bastide around the church, then placed in its central square, in accordance with the Treaty of Meaux (1229) prohibiting ramparts. The tower tors, a rare characteristic, was erected between 1580 and 1600 and rebuilt in 1814 and 1988 after damage.

The helical bell tower, 33.70 m high, turned left at a turn of 1/8 and was rebuilt in 1988 by fellow dutymen using the glued lamellar technique. A local legend attributes its twisted shape to an attempt to screw a stone into the sky to counter the devil, embarrassed by the sound of the bells. The church houses four bells, including two historical (1553 and 1556) and two modern (1988), as well as stained glass windows of Henri Feur (1890) illustrating the life of the Virgin.

The nave, vaulted in 1894, maintains an archaic portal compared to carolingian or 11th century models, such as that of Saint-Étienne de Nevers. Successive restorations (XIX-XX century) preserved its mix of Romanesque, Gothic and modern styles, reflecting its turbulent history since the Middle Ages.

The church also symbolizes the links between the seigneurial power (Vicomtes de Béarn), the clunisian order (Moissac) and local communities. Its bell tower, destroyed in 1922 by an apprentice carpenter and rebuilt by a citizen mobilization, embodies heritage resilience. The re-used Gallo-Roman stones recall the ancient occupation of the territory.

External links