Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jacques de Conzac, located in Saint-Aulais-la-Chapelle, was built in the 12th century in an area frequented by the pilgrims of Santiago de Compostela. Its cross plan, with a unique nave and semicircular apse, reflects Romanesque architecture. The carved capitals (cavaliers, animals, interlaces) and the archatures of the abside bear witness to a refined craft. The town of Conzac, ruined during the Hundred Years War (15th century), probably led to the deterioration of the building.

In the 17th century, the church was restored, but the village did not rise. The nave, rebuilt shorter than originally, is covered with a wooden ceiling, while the transept retains a cupola on pendants. The south cruise, destroyed (perhaps in the 15th century), was never rebuilt. The bell tower, truncated, has only one floor with arches. A staircase with screws serves the northern absidiole and the abside. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1953, the church combines Romanesque heritage and post-medieval transformations.

Protected elements include the nave, transept, and the two-storeyed abside. The sculptures (griffons, birds) and the cul-de-four of the abside underline its artistic importance. A restoration around 1960 preserved this building, owned by the commune. Its history reflects the local upheavals, between medieval pilgrimages and the post-war decline of Hundred Years.

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