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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens of Calviac-en-Périgord finds its origins in a Benedictine abbey of the High Middle Ages, the Monastery of Calabria, founded before the eighth century. This monastery, occupied by 40 monks living in alms, was restored by Saint Sacerdos before being destroyed by the Sarrasin and Norman invasions (VIII–IXth centuries). The relics of Saint Sacerdos, transferred to Sarlat between 945 and 980, marked the end of his direct influence. The abbey was then attached to that of Sarlat, as evidenced by the papal bubble of Eugene III in 1153.

In the 12th century, the present church was ceded to the abbey of Sarlat, first by the deans of Souillac (1128), then confirmed by the bishop of Cahors Guillaume II. The initial plan, with a span of Romanesque choir vaulted in cradle and a south nave, reflects this period. The site also housed a chapel of Saint-Sernin, which disappeared today. In 1170, Pope Alexander III reaffirmed the possession of the church (then dedicated to Saint Martin) by Sarlat, while recalling the gift of Bishop William.

The Hundred Years' War devastated Calviac, leaving the church in ruins. In the 15th century, a major restoration took place: a second Gothic nave was added to the north, equipped with a barlong bell tower with foothills and a circular staircase tower. The western portal, Gothic and later redesigned in the seventeenth century, and the trilobed bays date back to this period. The bell tower, partially rebuilt in the seventeenth century, incorporates four bays in the upper part. The church then became a priory united at Sarlat Abbey under Clement V (early 14th century).

Religious conflicts also marked its history: in 1681, a dispute between the Bishop of Sarlat and the Count of Lamothe-Fénelon for the appointment of the parish priest. During the Revolution, the parish priest hid before being taken to Sarlat, without evidence of condemnation. Classified as a Historical Monument in 1970, the church preserves Romanesque elements (south nave, choir) and Gothic (north nave, bell tower), illustrating its evolution over five centuries.

The building thus blends medieval monastic heritage, post-conflict reconstructions, and ecclesiastical tensions. Its complex plan, with broken arches and ogival vaults, reflects successive adaptations. The relics of Saint Sacerdos, transferred to Sarlat, and the papal bubbles of the 12th century underline its historical importance in the diocese of Cahors and then Sarlat.

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