Eglise Saint-Laurent et Saint-Martin
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Laurent et Saint-Martin, located in Conne-de-Labarde (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
- Conne-de-Labarde, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.7801, 0.5544
- Mérimée Reference
- PA24000081
Nestled in the heart of the Bergeracois, the église Saint-Laurent-et-Saint-Martin de Conne-de-Labarde combines a Romanesque chevet from the 12th century and a Renaissance nave within a wooded setting where only its wall belfry rises above the canopy.
History
In the peaceful village of Conne-de-Labarde, in the heart of purple Périgord, the church of Saint-Laurent-et-Saint-Martin stands out as one of those architectural gems that the Dordogne knows so well how to hide. Surrounded by a discreet enclosure and a wooded area that isolates it from the rest of the village, it can only be glimpsed through the slender silhouette of its bell tower, rising above the peaks like an invitation to explore. What makes this building truly singular is the harmonious coexistence of two distinct architectural periods: an oriental Romanesque chevet, a proud vestige of the 12th century, in sober dialogue with a rectangular nave rebuilt during the Renaissance. This superimposition of styles, far from creating dissonance, gives the church a temporal depth that is rare for such a modest rural parish. The chancel, which is narrower than the nave, further accentuates this sense of travelling through the centuries. Inside, visitors will find an atmosphere of contemplation conducive to attentive observation. Restoration work carried out in the second half of the 19th century preserved the essentials while consolidating the structures: the interior fittings bear witness to the continuous piety of the villagers since the Middle Ages. The play of light filtering through the openings cut into the thickness of the limestone walls creates a golden glow that is so characteristic of Périgord churches. The setting that surrounds the building is an integral part of the visitor experience. The green enclosure, the ancient trees and the relative isolation of the monument in the heart of the village give this stopover a timeless atmosphere. For walkers and lovers of rural heritage, this church, listed as a Historic Monument since 2013, is a not-to-be-missed stop-off on your journey through the Bergerac region.
Architecture
The church of Saint-Laurent-et-Saint-Martin has an elongated plan typical of rural buildings in Périgord, with a rectangular nave wider than the choir, which is connected to the apse oriented along the traditional liturgical axis. This asymmetry in width between the Renaissance nave and the Romanesque choir is a clear indication of the successive building campaigns, each period having imposed its own proportions without seeking to erase those of the previous one. The most characteristic feature of the exterior elevation is undoubtedly the bell-wall, a type of campanile very common in rural churches in Périgord and Bordeaux. This device, which uses very little material and built-up area, consists of a gable wall pierced with arcades designed to house the bells, dominating the west façade or the junction between the nave and the choir. The only element to emerge from the wooded setting surrounding the building, this wall-belfry is the church's visual signature in the village landscape. The Romanesque chevet, with its hemicycle or straight apse layout according to local tradition, retains the sober modenature and blond limestone facing typical of southern Périgord. The nave, rebuilt in the 16th century, adopts a Renaissance vocabulary tinged with the restraint typical of the rural context: windows with moulded frames, barrel vaults or wooden roofs in keeping with local fashion, and a doorway with a straight or low-arched lintel. Restorations carried out in the 19th century have added liturgical furnishings - altars, stalls, holy water fonts - which contribute to the building's atmosphere of secular piety. The entire structure, built of local limestone, has the warm, luminous patina so characteristic of the architectural heritage of the Périgord region.
Related Figures
Saint Laurent (martyrisé en 258 à Rome) — saint patron titulaire de l'église, diacre de l'Église primitive dont le culte s'est largement répandu en Aquitaine médiévaleSaint Martin de Tours (316-397) — évêque évangélisateur des Gaules et co-patron de l'église, figure centrale de la christianisation du PérigordViollet-le-Duc (1814-1879) — théoricien de la restauration dont l'influence doctrinale a guidé les travaux de nombreuses églises périgourdines au XIXe siècle, dans l'esprit desquels s'inscrivent les restaurations de Conne-de-LabardeProsper Mérimée (1803-1870) — inspecteur des Monuments Historiques qui parcourt la Dordogne dans les années 1830-1840 et contribue à l'inventaire du patrimoine roman et Renaissance du Périgord
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Laurent et Saint-Martin located?
Eglise Saint-Laurent et Saint-Martin is located in Conne-de-Labarde, Dordogne department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Laurent et Saint-Martin built?
Eglise Saint-Laurent et Saint-Martin dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Laurent et Saint-Martin open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Laurent et Saint-Martin is currently closed to visitors.
