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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame de Lusignan-Petit, located in the Lot-et-Garonne department in New Aquitaine, is a Catholic building whose history dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. It was entirely rebuilt at the beginning of the sixteenth century, with a large work dating back to this period. The vault of the span preceding the choir, probably rebuilt after a collapse, bears witness to successive architectural adaptations. Two side chapels were added in 1557, as evidenced by the inscription LAN 1557 on the vault key of the southwest chapel.

The bell tower, originally located above the nave, was repaired in 1551 after an inspection of the vicar Jean de Vallier. It collapsed definitively in 1815, despite claims for reparation in 1814. A new bell tower was proposed by the architect Jacques Bourrières between 1816 and 1819, and a final project was carried out in 1821 by the mason Jean Melin. The church underwent other major restorations: in 1864 Gustave Bourrières proposed a project partially taken over in 1872 by Léopold Payen, including the vaulting of the spans, the restoration of the facade and the construction of the sacristy.

The pentagonal abside opens onto a nave flanked by two transept-forming crumbs. The vaults of the choir, adorned with liernes and thirdons, date from the 16th century, while those of the first spans were redone in 1874. The building, owned by the commune, was listed as historical monuments on 23 May 2005. Its architecture reflects stylistic evolutions and liturgical needs, from the Middle Ages to 19th century interventions.

Lusignan-Petit housed a priory dependent on Saint-Géraud d'Aurillac Abbey, highlighting its regional religious importance. The successive modifications of the church, including the movement of the bell tower and the additions of chapels, illustrate its adaptation to cultural practices and structural hazards. Archaeological and historical sources, such as the works of J.R. Marboutin or Georges Tholin, document these transformations.

The 19th century restorations, carried out by departmental architects such as Gustave Bourrières and Léopold Payen, were designed to preserve the building while adapting to the standards of the time. The entrepreneur Marc Planès and architect T. Teulère supervised the last works in 1874. Today, the Church of Our Lady remains a major testimony of the religious and architectural heritage of Lot-et-Garonne.

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