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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Côme-et-Saint-Damien de Saint-Côme-d'Olt, located in Aveyron, finds its origins in the 11th century with the former parish church of Saint-Pierre de la Bouysse, replaced in the 16th century by the expansion of the castral chapel of the castle of the lords of Calmont d'Olt. In 1521 Guy de Castelnau, bishop of Périgueux, authorized the works led by Antoine Salvanh, architect of the bell tower of Rodez. The Gothic portal and its oak doors (1532) mark the completion of the building, dedicated to the Saints Como and Damien.

The bell tower, 42 meters high, underwent several reconstructions after fires (1627, 1802, 1860, 1920, 1990). Internal repairs were recorded in 1655 (Chapel of the Virgin) and 1750/1869 (clocher and nave). In the 20th century, Abbé Alibert rearranged the choir (1952-1963) with new stained glass windows, and restorations of movable objects (1995-2012) completed the preservation of the site, which was listed as historical monuments in 1927.

The building blends flamboyant Gothic styles with Renaissance elements, such as the west gate adorned with three statues (saint Como with the tromeau). The nave, with three spans flanked by collaterals, houses a popular tomb and the tomb of Guy de Castelnau. Among the classified objects are an 18th-century altarpiece, a Pietà, and a mausoleum (1845) containing the heart of M. Frayssinous, a pair of France under Charles X.

The construction spans several centuries, as evidenced by the deflection of the nave axis and the trapezoidal shape of the third span. The large portal and its rose, dated from the 15th century, contrast with the carved vantals of 1520. The church, a communal property, remains a symbol of the religious and architectural heritage of Occitanie.

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