Eglise paroissiale Saint-Pierre
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise paroissiale Saint-Pierre, located in Naujan-et-Postiac (Gironde), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Naujan-et-Postiac, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.7890, -0.1805
- Mérimée Reference
- PA33000047
The fortified church of Naujan-et-Postiac is a rare example of Romanesque and Renaissance architecture in the Gironde: its medieval battlements over the nave and its 19th-century painted decoration are as surprising as they are fascinating.
History
In the heart of the Gironde Entre-deux-Mers region, Saint-Pierre church in Naujan-et-Postiac stands out as one of those rural buildings that, in just a few square metres of stone, encapsulate several centuries of religious and military history. Unobtrusive from the road, it reveals an unusual silhouette to the attentive visitor: a nave topped by crenellations more reminiscent of a fortress than a place of worship. This defensive aspect, a legacy of the wars that ravaged the south-west in the late Middle Ages and at the turn of the Renaissance, is one of its most striking features. The building's first attraction is the legibility of its architectural layers. The Romanesque walls of the first bay, sober and thick, contrast with the more ambitious elevation of the flat sixteenth-century chevet and the side chapels, enlarged in the nineteenth century to form true side aisles. This superimposition of styles, far from detracting from the coherence of the whole, creates a lively, almost educational architectural interpretation that will delight art history enthusiasts and curious visitors alike. Inside, the choir's painted decoration, executed in the 19th century in a neo-medieval style tinged with provincial Romanesque, brings an unexpected warmth of colour. The ochre, Prussian blue and vermilion tones that enliven the vaults contrast with the bare limestone of the Romanesque nave, giving the whole an atmosphere that is both contemplative and picturesque. The setting itself adds to the enchantment: set in a wine-growing village typical of the inland Bordeaux region, Saint-Pierre benefits from the golden light characteristic of the Entre-deux-Mers region. In the late afternoon, the low-angled sun accentuates the relief of the battlements and reveals the grainy texture of the local limestone, much to the delight of architecture-loving photographers.
Architecture
Saint-Pierre church has an elongated floor plan that immediately reveals its historical complexity. The first western bay of the nave retains its 12th-century Romanesque walls, recognisable by their carefully coursed limestone rubble bond and their sturdy internal supports, probably engaged pillars or half-columns. The rest of the nave, which has been altered over the centuries, is flanked by two side aisles resulting from the 19th-century enlargement of the Renaissance side chapels. The chevet is flat, a frequent feature of south-western buildings altered during the Renaissance, in contrast to the tradition of the semi-circular apse inherited from the Romanesque. The most spectacular feature is the fortification of the nave. The crenellated crown, which surmounts the eaves wall on the outside, is reminiscent of the defensive systems used on many churches in Gascony and Aquitaine in the 15th and 16th centuries. These limestone merlons and battlements, some of which have been preserved, gave the building the appearance of a small fortress, capable of deterring attackers or providing firing positions in the event of an attack. The local limestone, with its blond to greyish tones depending on exposure, gives the whole a beautiful chromatic unity. Inside, the 19th-century roofing - barrel vaults or neo-Gothic ribbed vaults depending on the bay - frames the jewel in the choir: a programme of wall paintings featuring scrolls, medallions and falsework, typical of the provincial neo-medieval décor that was very popular during the Second Empire and the nascent Third Republic.
Related Figures
Clercs romans du XIIe siècle, bâtisseurs anonymes de la nef primitiveSeigneurs locaux de Naujan (XVIe siècle), commanditaires présumés de la fortification et du remaniement RenaissanceArtisans peintres du XIXe siècle, auteurs du décor polychrome du chœurArchitectes des Bâtiments de France (XXe-XXIe siècle), garants de la conservation du monument classé
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise paroissiale Saint-Pierre located?
Eglise paroissiale Saint-Pierre is located in Naujan-et-Postiac, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Eglise paroissiale Saint-Pierre built?
Eglise paroissiale Saint-Pierre dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise paroissiale Saint-Pierre open to visitors?
Eglise paroissiale Saint-Pierre is currently closed to visitors.
