Eglise Saint-Félicien
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Félicien, located in Issigeac (Dordogne), is a church. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Location
- Issigeac, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.7303, 0.6073
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082581
A late-Gothic jewel in the Périgord, Saint-Félicien d'Issigeac features a triple-vaulted nave and an elegant octagonal bell tower-porch, the result of a great prelate's desire to build at the end of the 15th century.
History
In the heart of the medieval village of Issigeac, in the southern Périgord region, the church of Saint-Félicien stands out as one of the most coherent and best-preserved Gothic religious buildings in the Dordogne. Built in a single project between 1488 and 1527, it offers the rare quality of an architecture that was conceived from the outset as a whole, without the stylistic breaks that often betray medieval construction projects stretching over several centuries. Its silhouette, dominated by a bell tower-porch that changes from a square to an octagon with geometric grace, reveals the inventive rigour of its design from afar. The interior features three naves of equal length, a rare solution that gives Saint-Félicien an almost classical impression of scale and balance. The cross vaults follow one another in a regular rhythm up to the polygonal apses, creating a luminous dialogue between the stone and the volumes. The choir bay that precedes the five-sided central apse is the interior's crowning moment: here, the light filtered through the radiating windows envelops the space in a softness that is particularly striking in the late afternoon. The building's turbulent history, which was tested by the Wars of Religion before being carefully restored, has not altered the homogeneity of the whole. The restoration has respected the original spirit of the episcopal building site, so that today's visitor still clearly perceives the architectural ambition that inspired its patron. The portal under the porch, adorned with a central mullion and fine moulding, is one of the most carefully crafted decorative features of the monument. Issigeac itself is well worth a half-day's visit: its medieval streets, episcopal castle and half-timbered houses, together with Saint-Félicien, form a remarkably coherent heritage ensemble, listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France. The church is its beating heart, dominating the town square with a serenity that commands admiration.
Architecture
The architecture of Saint-Félicien is late Southern Gothic, a style that characterised the major religious buildings in Périgord, Agenais and Quercy at the end of the 15th century. The plan adopted is that of a hall church with three naves of equal length, a solution that favours the unity of the interior space and the even distribution of light. Each of the naves is punctuated by four cross-vaulted bays, a solid yet elegant structural formula that culminates in a triplet of polygonal apses to the east: the five-sided central apse, preceded by a choir bay, and two three-sided side apses that discreetly complete the side aisles. The most spectacular exterior feature is undoubtedly the western bell tower-porch. Square at the base, it makes the transition to an octagonal shaft thanks to the skilful extension of the corner buttresses, which form slightly raised canted sections. This rising geometry, with its impeccable constructional logic, is a signature of the Perigord Gothic workshops of the late Middle Ages. A separate stair turret, attached to the bell tower, provides access to the upper levels without disrupting the legibility of the composition. Under the porch is the main doorway, remarkable for its central mullion that divides the leaf into two bays, framed by fine, meticulous moulding that testifies to the care given to the building's entrance. The materials used are those of the region: golden Périgord limestone, which gives the whole structure the warm hue so characteristic of the region's monuments.
Related Figures
Arnaud Gontaut de Biron — évêque de Sarlat, commanditaire et maître d'ouvrage de l'église, initiateur du chantier en 1488Famille Gontaut-Biron — grande famille nobiliaire du Périgord, dont Arnaud était issu, associée au château de BironProsper Mérimée — inspecteur des Monuments historiques, figure tutélaire de la protection du patrimoine médiéval français au XIXe siècle
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Félicien located?
Eglise Saint-Félicien is located in Issigeac, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
Is Eglise Saint-Félicien open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Félicien is currently closed to visitors.