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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Clément de Fontiers-Cabardes, originally located at a half-place in the village, was transferred in 1535 to the site of an old church dedicated to Saint Peter. Its unique nave, covered with frame on diaphragm arches, extends by a five-sided vaulted bedside. Archaic Corinthian capitals, re-used since the ancient St Peter's church or the demolished parish, contrast with the Renaissance sculptures of side chapels, richly decorated with characters, animals of the tetramorph and angels carrying armored ecu.

The bell tower, an independent square tower backed by the western wall, retains an ancient base probably from the early Saint Peter's church. Its 17 bells, melted in 1974 by Dominique Bollée, overlook a building marked by late Gothic and Renaissance influences. The lateral chapels, dated between 1537 and 1552, house symbolic sculptures, such as a "wild" or beheaded character, reflecting the beliefs and art of the time.

The history of the church is linked to the Chartreuse de La Loubatière, which obtained its snack in 1323 by Pope John XXII. The prior exercised the right of patronage there until the reconstruction of 1535, motivated by the removal of the former parish. Ranked a historic monument in 1948 (with the exception of the modern porch), it houses the graves of local figures, such as Abbé Raymond Escribe (1804–76), initiator of village fountains, or Abbé Marcel Forrieres (1914–1986), parish priest marked by his pastoral commitment.

Architectural elements, such as the archaic capitals of the bedside or vaulted vaults of chapels, suggest the reuse of ancient materials. The modern southern chapel and porch contrast with the rest of the building, preserved in its 16th century state. The bell tower, with its bays in the middle, bears witness to a medieval origin prior to the Renaissance reconstruction.

The parish life, rhythmic by the offices and processions, was organized around this church, the spiritual and social center of the village. The sculptures, like the angel musician or the winged dragon, illustrated biblical narratives and local legends, reinforcing the educational role of sacred art. Today, the church remains a place of memory, where a plaque commemorates Abbé Forrieres, symbol of cultural and community continuity.

Historical sources, including the Chartreuse archives and lapidary inscriptions (such as the date of 1537 engraved on a vault key), allow to trace partially its evolution. The absence of vaults in the nave, compensated by an apparent structure, and the extinct polychromy of the sculptures recall the technical and aesthetic adaptations of the builders of the southern Renaissance.

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