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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

La Chapelle Notre-Dame du Bourg is a Catholic chapel in the Lot-et-Garonne department of New Aquitaine. Built in the late 13th century, it replaces a first chapel built near a Christian cemetery outside the first urban enclosure. As a parish church under the name of Notre-Dame du Bourg, it is integrated into the second enclosure of the city. This monument illustrates the medieval expansion of Agen and its central religious role in the city.

In the 15th century, the initially square bedside was replaced by a polygonal apse, changing its Gothic appearance. The chapel was looted and burned in 1561 during the Wars of Religion, when Protestants took over Agen. They then destroyed Saint-Étienne Cathedral, Saint-Caprais College and Notre-Dame du Bourg. A report shall state the state of the damage, leading to its restoration and expansion by adding a south side. The bishop Jules Mascaron then made it a place of Marian devotion, giving it the nickname of Our Lady of Grace.

In 1809, the designated cemetery was abolished by Napoleonic decree, marking a break with its historical funeral use. The chapel was finally listed as historic monuments on 22 February 1926, recognizing its heritage value. Its stained glass windows, made in 1884 by the Bordeaux master glassmaker Henri Feur, bear witness to the restorations of the 19th century and its sustainable cultural role in the city.

Today, the building embodies both the medieval heritage of Agen, the upheavals of the Wars of Religion and the architectural adaptations related to its liturgical and commemorative use. Its inscription among historical monuments underlines its importance in the religious and heritage landscape of New Aquitaine.

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