Eglise Notre-Dame de la Nativité
ChurchHidden Treasure
Nestling in the heart of the Périgord region, this 12th-century Romanesque church boasts an exceptional interior choir, adorned with semi-circular arches decorated with diamond-pointed motifs of rare finesse.
History
The church of Notre-Dame de la Nativité in Beaupouyet, a small village in the Dordogne, is one of those discreet jewels of Romanesque Périgord that you come across unexpectedly along the way. Although the building has been extensively altered over the centuries, its interior choir remains a precious fragment of authentic Romanesque art, rare enough and well cared for to have justified its inclusion on the Monuments Historiques list in 1948. What really sets Notre-Dame de la Nativité apart is the sculptural quality of its interior arcatures. Four round arches punctuating the choir bear witness to the skills of 12th-century Périgord stonemasons: two of them are highlighted with diamond points, a geometric motif of great sobriety and decorative force, while the other two feature a variety of geometric motifs. Between them, a Romanesque pillar crowned with interlacing capitals completes the ensemble with medieval elegance. Visiting the church is like going back to basics: there are no monumental displays or crowds here. The church is a place of silence and contemplation, ideal for anyone seeking to soak up the authentic atmosphere of the Périgord, far from the beaten tourist track. The subdued light that filters into the choir accentuates the relief of the sculptures, revealing all their complexity as the day progresses. The village setting of Beaupouyet, in the Dordogne valley, adds to the charm of the visit. This area is rich in medieval remains, with its bastides, castles and Romanesque churches, giving Notre-Dame de la Nativité a place of choice as one of the stops on an itinerary devoted to the Romanesque heritage of the Périgord Blanc.
Architecture
The church of Notre-Dame de la Nativité is in the Périgord Romanesque style of the 12th century, although the building as we see it today is the result of successive alterations that have profoundly altered its exterior appearance. The choir's roof, re-laid in the 18th century in the Mansard style - with a broken double slope - bears witness to the superimposition of architectural interventions characteristic of French rural buildings. It is inside the choir that the architectural interest of the building lies. Four semi-circular arches - emblematic of Romanesque art - structure the space with remarkable geometric rigour and decorative richness. Two of the arcatures are highlighted with diamond-point decoration, a motif cut in relief to resemble the facets of a precious stone, particularly popular in Romanesque sculpture in the south-west. The other two feature a variety of geometric motifs, creating a visual dialogue between different ornamental styles. These four arches are separated by a Romanesque pillar, the capitals of which are carved with interlacing plant and geometric motifs that are part of the medieval ornamental repertoire. Despite its modest size, the whole structure is a coherent and meticulous example of Perigordian Romanesque sculpture, comparable to that found in other rural churches in the Dordogne.
Related Figures
François Mansart — architecte du XVIIe siècle dont le principe de toiture brisée fut appliqué au chœur de l'église au XVIIIe siècleArtisans tailleurs de pierre périgourdins du XIIe siècle — auteurs des arcatures sculptées et des chapiteaux à entrelacs du chœurSeigneurs locaux de Beaupouyet — commanditaires présumés de la construction romane originelleClergé rural périgourdin médiéval — garant de l'édifice et de son entretien à travers les siècles
