Eglise Saint-Jean
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Jean, located in Molières (Dordogne), 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
- Molières, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8101, 0.8242
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00082648
Standing as a stone sentinel at the heart of the English bastide of Molières, the église Saint-Jean raises its Romanesque bell tower from the 13th century, an intact witness to the Edwardian foundation of 1286, flanked by a Gothic nave added in the 15th century.
History
In the heart of the Périgord Noir, the bastide town of Molières hides one of its most precious medieval relics: the church of Saint-Jean, a discreet monument of remarkable historical coherence. Founded when the bastide was created by the English at the end of the 13th century, it embodies better than anyone else the urban and spiritual ambitions of the Plantagenets in these disputed lands of Guyenne. What is immediately striking is the building's architectural duality: two eras are clearly visible on its walls, like the superimposed leaves of a stone palimpsest. The original nave, sober and compact, still exudes the Romanesque spirit of the first decades of the 12th century, while the second nave, added in the 15th century, features ribbed windows with the late Gothic elegance typical of the Périgord region. The dialogue between these two architectural styles is what sets Saint-Jean apart. The square bell tower, the centrepiece of the ensemble, is of a sober, military style. Firmly anchored in the ground, it has survived seven centuries without ever losing its original silhouette - a rare feat in a region that suffered the ravages of the Hundred Years' War, the Wars of Religion and the Revolution. Its reassuring mass dominates the slate roofs of the medieval village, reminding the inhabitants that the church was also a landmark, a symbolic refuge. A visit to Saint-Jean is an intimate experience, a world away from the crowds of the great cathedrals. Here, visitors take the time to observe the junction between the two naves, to feel the change in atmosphere between the Romanesque part, which is lower and more contemplative, and the Gothic space, which is brighter thanks to its pointed openings. It only takes an hour to go round the whole thing, but lovers of medieval architecture will be happy to linger. Molières itself is well worth a visit: an incomplete bastide - its building work was never completed - it offers a fascinating example of planned medieval town planning, with its orthogonal streets and central square. The jewel in the crown is the church of Saint-Jean, which was listed as a Historic Monument in 2013, guaranteeing well-deserved protection for this exceptional testimony to the English presence in Périgord.
Architecture
The church of Saint-Jean de Molières has the characteristic layout of a medieval building with a double nave, the result of construction spread over several centuries. The original nave, dating back to the 12th century, adopts the simple, functional layout of rural Romanesque churches in Périgord: a single nave with thick limestone rubble walls, closed by an apse to the east. Decorative restraint is total, in keeping with the Cistercian ideal that greatly influenced Périgord religious architecture at the time. The square bell tower, erected when the bastide was founded in 1286, is the most remarkable architectural feature of the complex. With its massive tower base and narrow geminated openings at the top, it is typical of the tower belfries of medieval Périgord. Its strong verticality made it as much a signpost in the rural landscape as a spiritual landmark for the community of the emerging bastide. It is the only part of the building not to have undergone any significant structural changes since it was built. The second nave, added in the 15th century, breaks with the Romanesque severity of the first building. It is covered with ribbed vaults - Gothic vaults formed by the crossing of two diagonal arches - which visually lighten the space and allow better natural lighting thanks to wider windows. The coexistence of the two naves, leaning against each other and separated by arcades, creates a singular interior space where light and volume play out differently depending on whether you are on the Romanesque or Gothic side.
Related Figures
Édouard Ier d'Angleterre — duc d'Aquitaine, fondateur de la bastide de Molières en 1286 et commanditaire indirecte de la première égliseÉdouard de Savoie — sénéchal de Guyenne, administrateur des bastides anglaises en Périgord à la fin du XIIIe siècleAlphonse de Poitiers — frère de Saint Louis, pionnier des bastides françaises en Périgord, contemporain des premières constructionsViollet-le-Duc — architecte et théoricien dont l'influence inspira les restaurations du XIXe siècle dans l'ensemble du patrimoine périgourdin
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Jean located?
Eglise Saint-Jean is located in Molières, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Jean built?
Eglise Saint-Jean dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Jean open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Jean is currently closed to visitors.
