Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Macau, located in the Gironde department, finds its origins in an earlier building attested as early as 1027. A text of donation by the Duke of Aquitaine Guillaume V mentions a place of worship given to the Sainte-Croix monastery in Bordeaux. The present church, including its 12th century square bell tower, replaces this early construction. This 22-metre-high bell tower features Romanesque features such as curved bays and carved columns.

The nave, rebuilt in the 15th century, and the renovations of the 17th and 19th centuries shaped the current aspect of the building. The fully painted choir and the lower side of the nave reflect these architectural developments. The bell tower, classified as a historic monument in 1893, illustrates the heritage importance of the site. Its architecture combines Romanesque influences and subsequent redevelopments, such as the modifications of the bays in the 17th century.

Inside, the church houses protected furniture, including an 18th-century marble master altar and a 17th-century golden wooden tabernacle. An organ of 1867, installed on a stand, completes this ensemble. These elements testify to the artistic and religious richness of the monument, rooted in local history since the Middle Ages.

The bell tower, structured in three levels, includes a vaulted room on the ground floor and arches applied to the intermediate floor. Its last level, pierced by geminied berries, evokes a Romanesque inspiration, while its enhanced arch recalls Moorish influences. These architectural details highlight the diversity of styles that have marked the building over the centuries.

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