Eglise Saint-Cyr
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Cyr, located in Saint-Geyrac (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-Geyrac, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.0888, 0.9152
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082841
Watching over the Périgord since the 12th century, the church of Saint-Cyr de Saint-Geyrac fascinates with its imposing quadrangular bell tower-porch and its Gothic remains of rare rural coherence.
History
Nestling in the heart of the Périgord Noir, the church of Saint-Cyr de Saint-Geyrac is one of those discreet jewels that the Dordogne so generously hides in its wooded valleys. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1974, it stands alone as the embodiment of medieval architectural continuity in a region where stone still speaks louder than the centuries. The first thing that strikes visitors is the bell tower-porch: a massive square supported by four high corner buttresses that make up the entire façade of the building. Robust, almost martial in its Romanesque austerity, it rises like a watchtower above the modest village. The silhouette is striking, all the more so as the top was rebuilt in the 17th century, giving the whole structure a superposition of styles that fascinates architecture lovers. The interior is also full of surprises. The two-bay nave, extended by a choir bay and a well-designed chancel, reveals in its spatial organisation all the rigour of the builders of the Middle Ages. The north aisle, added in the 14th century, still has the beginnings of pointed arches resting on engaged colonnettes, eloquent testimony to Périgord Gothic craftsmanship. A four-lobed oculus discreetly illuminates the spiral staircase set into the very thickness of the wall. The church of Saint-Cyr is just as much a delight for lovers of medieval architecture as it is for walkers in search of some peace and quiet. A half-hour visit is all it takes to grasp the essentials, but the more curious will want to take the time to observe the sculpted details and traces of successive transformations. The late afternoon light, shining down on the pale limestone, is particularly good for photography.
Architecture
Saint-Cyr church belongs to the great family of Perigordian Romanesque buildings, enriched over the centuries by Gothic additions that give it an exemplary chronological legibility. The western façade is entirely taken up by the bell tower-porch: a massive quadrangular structure, flanked by four particularly slender corner buttresses, giving the whole structure a verticality and strength that are unusual for a building of this size. The top, rebuilt in the 17th century, breaks slightly with the medieval severity of the base. The interior layout reveals a clear, hierarchical organisation: a nave with two bays, a square choir bay - possibly originally covered by a dome, in the Romanesque tradition of the Périgord - and a choir at the end of the liturgical axis. The north aisle, added in the 14th century, enlarges the nave by a secondary nave whose ribbed vaults, although partially lost, are restored by the departures of arches falling into penetration on engaged columns. One architectural detail deserves particular attention: in the first bay of the aisle, the spiral staircase leading to the bell tower is set into the very thickness of the wall and lit by a four-lobed oculus, a decorative and functional motif characteristic of the Southern Gothic style. The whole structure is built from local limestone, the golden-blonde stone so characteristic of the Périgord region, which takes on changing hues depending on the time of day.
Related Figures
Saint Cyr — martyr chrétien du IIIe siècle, saint patron de l'église, dont le culte était très répandu dans le Périgord médiévalLe seigneur donateur de 1263 — commanditaire présumé de la charte de donation mentionnant l'édifice, probablement lié à une famille noble périgourdineLes maîtres maçons du XIVe siècle — artisans anonymes de la reconstruction gothique et de l'ajout du bas-côté nordLe curé du XVIIe siècle — acteur probable de la reconstruction du sommet du clocher après dommagesLes inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques — responsables de l'inscription protectrice de 1974 qui assura la pérennité de l'édifice
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Cyr located?
Eglise Saint-Cyr is located in Saint-Geyrac, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Cyr built?
Eglise Saint-Cyr dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Cyr open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Cyr is currently closed to visitors.