Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Saturnin du Bourg, located in the Lot en Occitanie department, was originally a priory dependent on the abbey Saint-Géraud d'Aurillac. Although the exact date of this dependence remains unknown, its architecture allows it to date from the late 11th or early 12th century. The nave and monastic buildings disappeared, probably destroyed during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, during which time the church was burned and partially demolished. The excavations revealed 15th century remains, and major restoration works were undertaken between 1906 and 1912 to reconstruct the vaults of the transept and the façade.

The church's plan, comparable to other regional monastic buildings such as the church of Saint-Pierre de Carennac or the Abbey of Marcilhac-sur-Célé, is distinguished by its Romanesque bedside and side chapels. Twenty-six carved capitals, decorated with interlaces, palmettes, angels and animals, decorate the apse, the choir and the cross of the transept. These motifs, typical of the 11th and 12th centuries, are similar to those of the Abbey of Sainte-Foy de Conques and are found in an area extending from Catalonia to Lyonnais. The building, once fortified, was classified as a historical monument in 1986 after successive consolidations.

The restoration work at the beginning of the twentieth century, led by the service of the Historical Monuments, allowed to restore the vaults of the transept, initially covered by a simple floor, and to clear the primitive western piles. Inspector Emile Boeswillwald had already described the church in 1874, highlighting the urgency of repairs. Today, only the bedside, the transept and elements of the choir remain, while the nave and the convent buildings have disappeared. The Way of the Cross, painted in 1936 by Charles Plessard, bears witness to an always active cult life.

The Saint-Saturnin church illustrates the Romanesque architecture of Quercy, marked by monastic influences and a rich carved decor. Its history reflects the religious and political upheavals of the region, from the wars of Religion to its protection as a national heritage. Archaeological studies and successive restorations preserved this testimony of the Benedictine and Romanesque past of Occitanie.

External links