Eglise Saint-Barthélémy
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Barthélémy, located in Saint-André-d'Allas (Dordogne), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Saint-André-d'Allas, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.9045, 1.1213
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082797
Nestling in the heart of the Périgord Noir region, this 13th-century Romanesque church is astonishing for its superimposed medieval polychrome plasterwork and its sober three-bay bell tower-arcade, evidence of an intact rural spirituality.
History
The church of Saint-Barthélémy in Saint-André-d'Allas stands in one of the most secret parts of the Périgord Noir, just a few leagues from Sarlat-la-Canéda. Far from the beaten track, this small rectangular edifice exudes a striking austerity, reinforced by the remarkable thickness of its walls, which have no buttresses - a rare feature that makes it feel as much like a refuge as a sanctuary. What really sets Saint-Barthélémy apart is the richness of its interior decorative layers. Under layers of plaster built up over the centuries, restorers have uncovered two distinct sets: a 17th-century plasterwork with yellow braids, and, even more precious, the original 13th-century plasterwork decorated with a false pattern of red fillets. This painted decoration, imitating ashlar with an economy of means that is entirely craft-based, is a rare testimony to the aesthetic sensitivity of the Romanesque builders of the Périgord region. A tour of the interior reveals a meticulous layout: the sanctuary, narrower than the nave, is topped by a stone ogival barrel vault, while the nave adopts the same shape but in brick - a choice of materials that alone tells the story of local resources and successive alterations. The light, filtered through small openings, shrouds the vaults in a golden half-light that is conducive to contemplation. On the outside, the western facade ends in a bell tower with arcades and three openings, typical of Périgord rural architecture. Simple but elegant, it punctuates the hedged farmland without trying to impose itself, in the image of all this architecture that prefers permanence to ostentation. In the surrounding area, there are still traces of a former bishop's residence, which for a long time earned the place the evocative name of Allas-l'Évêque.
Architecture
The church of Saint-Barthélémy belongs to the late Romanesque style of Périgord, influenced by the first Gothic influences, which can be seen in the treatment of the vaults. Its sober, rectangular plan comprises a single nave and a slightly narrower sanctuary, a classic layout for small medieval rural parishes. The most striking feature of the exterior is the considerable thickness of the load-bearing walls, which have no buttresses whatsoever: the building derives its solidity from the very mass of the masonry, an archaic method but one that has proved effective in rural buildings in the south-west. The western facade is crowned by an arcaded bell tower with three openings, a very common architectural type in Périgord and Quercy, which replaces the usual bell tower with a simple wall pierced with arcades to house the bells. This light, elegant design is in keeping with the tradition of wall-belfries in the south of France, a legacy of architecture that favoured functionality over pomp and circumstance. Inside, the roof adopts two distinct solutions: the sanctuary is vaulted with a stone ogival barrel vault, a sign of the particular care taken with the liturgical choir, while the nave is covered with a vault of the same profile but made of brick - a lighter and more economical material, readily available in the region. The interior decoration, revealed by the test pits, is one of the building's major attractions. The thirteenth-century medieval rendering, decorated with red fillets simulating ashlar work, and the superimposed seventeenth-century rendering with yellow braids bear witness to the successive decorative practices that enlivened this sacred space over several centuries.
Related Figures
Un évêque de Sarlat (XIIIe siècle) — prélat non identifié qui établit sa résidence au voisinage de l'église, donnant naissance au toponyme Allas-l'ÉvêqueLes maçons périgourdins anonymes du XIIIe siècle — bâtisseurs de l'édifice, maîtres d'une technique de construction massive sans contrefortsLes artisans enduit-décorateurs du XIIIe siècle — auteurs du faux appareil en filets rouges conservé sous les couches ultérieuresLes commanditaires des travaux du XVIIe siècle — responsables de l'enduit à galons jaunes, acteurs d'une rénovation baroque discrète
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Barthélémy located?
Eglise Saint-Barthélémy is located in Saint-André-d'Allas, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Barthélémy built?
Eglise Saint-Barthélémy dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Barthélémy open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Barthélémy is currently closed to visitors.