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Origin and history

Saint-Pierre de Tourtirac Church, also known as Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens, is a Catholic church located in the hamlet of Faures, in the commune of Gardegan-et-Tourtirac (Gironde). Its origin dates back to the 12th century, when it was fortified, as evidenced by defensive elements such as the steeple staircase, accessible three metres from the ground to facilitate its protection.

The building has a remarkable architecture: its facade features a four-piece door framed with two sleek doors and surmounted by a saw teeth cornice. The cul-de-four abside is separated from the nave by an arcade in the middle of the hanger, while a semi-spherical vault, dominated by a square bell tower, crowns the whole. The nave, on the other hand, is covered with a 19th century vault, probably replacing an older structure.

The history of the church is marked by the unrest of the religious wars, during which it was degraded and partially burned. Restored in 1607, she lost her presbytery after the French Revolution. A door lintel, kept inside, attests to its construction between 1670 and 1674 under the impulse of the parish priest Jean Irondius of Podio. Ranked a historic monument in 1925, it remains an architectural and historical testimony of the region.

Its geographical isolation, at the end of a vicinal road (D123), and its defensive features underline its past role as a shelter and protected place of worship in a often agitated regional context. Today, it embodies both a religious heritage and a memory of the conflicts that have crossed the Gironde.

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