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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Sainte-Colombe de Sainte-Colombe-en-Bruillhois Church, located in the Lot-et-Garonne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, is a Catholic building dedicated to Saint Colombe de Sens. Its architecture combines two distinct epochs: a 12th century Romanesque apse, arched in cul-de-four and preceded by a span in a broken cradle, and a 15th century nave, composed of four spans with a north side. A massive triumphal arch separates the abside from the nave, while Renaissance elements, visible in stylistic details and external connections, show subsequent modifications.

The bell tower, characteristic of the building, rests on a quadrangular base surmounted by an octagonal tower with a stone arrow redone in the seventeenth century. A side turret houses the staircase leading to the bell tower. Inside, the 19th century stained glass windows, signed by renowned workshops such as Goussard de Condom or Gesta son of Toulouse, illustrate religious scenes, including the Resurrection of Christ or the figures of Saint Elizabeth and Saint Jeanne d'Arc. These late additions contrast with the military austerity of the exterior facades, still partially enclosed in a medieval enclosure.

Classified as a Historical Monument by decree of 7 January 1926, the church is owned by the commune. His history is documented in local works, such as those by Anne-Marie Labit or Georges Tholin, which highlight his role in the religious heritage of the Agenese. The capitals adorned with grotesques and animals, as well as the vaults with liernes and thirdons of the spans of the nave, attest to its architectural evolution between the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

The stained glass windows, installed at the end of the 19th century, come from several workshops. The Goussard house of Condom realized that of the Resurrection of Christ, while the Gesta studio son of Toulouse signed the stained glass windows of St.Elisabeth and St. A third stained glass window, representing Saint Louis de Gonzague, was executed in 1893 by the studio Étienne and Mouilleon de Bar-le-Duc. Other unsigned stained glass windows are attributed to Gesta fils, illustrating the importance of this craftsman in the decoration of the building.

The church of Sainte-Colombe also preserves traces of its medieval enclosure, with a common well located in front of its western facade. This detail, combined with the sobriety of the exterior walls, evokes its central role in the community life of the village, between place of worship and fortified space. Historical sources, such as the work of Commander Labouche or the studies of Tholin, complete the understanding of this monument, reflecting the architectural and social transformations of the region.

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