Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte d'Aubas, located in Dordogne in the Black Perigord, is a religious building whose construction began in the 12th century. It is distinguished by its three-piece Gothic portal, topped by a partially preserved bell tower-wall. The nave, flanked by a chapel to the south, leads to a rectangular choir where remains a Romanesque gourd. The building underwent major modifications in the 19th century, including the replacement of the old bell tower with a bell tower in 1877 and the reconstruction of the western façade while preserving the original gate.

The church is placed under the patronage of St.Cyr, a three- or four-year-old martyr child, and his holy mother Julitte, both executed around the year 304 for their Christian faith. Classified as historical monuments since September 18, 1970, it houses a remarkable liturgical furniture, including two protected altarpieces: one in 16th century stone, carved of biblical scenes with hammered figures, and the other in 17th century wood, decorated with paintings depicting the life of Saint Joseph. These elements, originally assembled into an altar-tabernacle, are now exposed separately in the nave.

Architecturally, the building illustrates a superimposition of styles, with a nave of which only the north wall preserves Romanesque traces, while the gate and the campanary bays are Gothic. The south side chapel, vaulted in a broken cradle, was originally to be covered with warheads, as evidenced by the still visible committed columns. Outside, the western facade, rebuilt in the 19th century, incorporates medieval elements such as the carved capitals of the gate, whose archvolt rests on masks. The bedside, on the other hand, was surmounted by a bell tower erected in 1877, replacing an old bell tower with curvilinear crawlers.

The church furniture also includes a two-seater confessional, dug in the north wall of the side chapel. The classified altarpieces, objects of devotion and sacred art, reflect the evolution of local religious practices: the stone altarpiece, damaged during iconoclastic periods, contrasts with that of wood, later and better preserved, with the exception of a panel disappeared in 1967. These elements attest to the historical and cultural importance of the building in the religious heritage of the Dordogne.

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