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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Fontet is a Catholic building located in the hamlet of Fontet, on the territory of the commune of Guérin, in the department of Lot-et-Garonne. Mentioned from the 13th century, it is associated with a nearby fountain (Fontet), object of a cult at least since the 15th century. Under the Ancien Régime, she was dependent on the diocese of Bazas, before being attached in 1802 to the parish of Guérin. This small rural building, surrounded by its cemetery, consists of a unique nave in rubble, covered with a walled ceiling, and houses a painted decoration from the early 16th century, partially clear, illustrating the Capital Sinks and the Passion of Christ.

The church underwent reshuffles in the 18th and 19th centuries, while maintaining its modest character. It has been listed as a historical monument since December 30, 1994, including both the building (Cadastre B 299) and the ground/subsoil of its cemetery (Cadastre B 298). Owned by the municipality of Guérin, it embodies a religious and architectural heritage typical of the Aquitaine countryside, where rural churches played a central role in community life, mixing worship, gatherings and local traditions.

The nearby fountain, linked to the church by its name (Fontet), suggests an ancient sacred or therapeutic dimension, common in rural areas where sources were often Christianized. The painted decor, although partially erased, offers a rare testimony of provincial Renaissance religious art, reflecting the moral and spiritual concerns of the time. Subsequent changes (XVIII–XIX centuries) probably met practical or aesthetic needs, without fundamentally altering the original medieval structure.

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