The inhabitants of this Lot village are mobilizing to save their church and launching a petition

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Editorial Cahors

Published on

Nov. 17, 2024 at 7:00 a.m.

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During the last meeting of the Bouche à Aureil association, a clear observation was made on the dilapidated state of thechurch of Saint-Aureil of Castelnau-Montratier in the Lot. This local heritage, whose inhabitants are proud to defend the colors and which hosts activities in summer, needs everyone's attention. The church, which has a crypt, requires urgent work. There advanced deterioration of the building requires broad mobilization.

Online petition to save this church in Lot

Also the members of the association are calling for volunteers, but not only that. Through a petition (to be found here), the association also wishes to make elected officials of the municipality of Castelnau-Montratier aware of the importance of taking a serious interest in the church: bringing everyone to the attention of advanced state of deterioration of the church of Saint Aureil, make them aware of the urgency of undertaking renovation work there and express the wish to see this work undertaken as quickly as possible.

A worrying state

The church shows many signs of dilapidation, from the walls to the woodwork, including the ceiling and stained glass windows.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the main problems identified:

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Walls and ceiling: the plaster comes off in patches, hiding the original stones. The ceiling, marked by humidity, shows large stains and a leaking roof. The objective is to remove the plaster and leave the framework visible.

Roof: due to numerous leaks, urgent interventions are necessary to make it waterproof, and an assessment by a professional (Ets Gardes) is expected to evaluate the work.

Woodwork and grandstand: the wooden grandstand, located at the rear of the transept, needs to be restored. The choir woodwork also requires treatment.

Choir and chapel: plaster needs to be removed in areas of the chancel and side chapel, while the back of the chancel and painted ceiling are fortunately in good condition.

Stained Glass and Furniture: Damaged stained glass requires replacement, and the historic wooden pulpit needs to be treated for conservation. In the sacristy, a window and the floor also need to be replaced.

Descent to the crypt: a standard guardrail must be installed.

Exterior elements: outside the church, the cross of Saint-Aureil, located at the bottom of rue de la Crypte, is collapsed and should be straightened to guarantee its stability.

Sign the petition

The association wishes to mobilize a large part of residents and heritage enthusiasts to come together around a common project. In order to restore Saint-Aureil to its former glory and ensure a more sustainable future. If you feel concerned then sign the petition by going to the website www.change.org, “Petition for the preservation of the church of Saint-Aureil”.

The church in history

The church of Saint-Aureil is much more than just a building; it is a precious witness to the cultural and religious heritage of the town, with a Romanesque crypt from the 12th century^e century and a choir with a semi-circular apse probably dating from the 13th^e century. This place steeped in history continues to attract visitors today, particularly for the Saint-Aureil festival, which has become an unmissable event in local summer life. On this occasion, the church serves as an exhibition space for artists from the region and attracts many tourists.

Despite the signs of deterioration, the church remains an important gathering place for ceremonies, both religious and secular, and the cultural events which punctuate the life of the town.

With this petition, the signatories hope that the mayor of Castelnau-Montratier and the municipal council will become aware of the importance of preserving this building for future generations.

Remarkable bells

Saint-Aureil is also part of a lesser known but quite remarkable heritage. In 2021, an inventory of all the churches in the town, numbering 11, and their bells was launched. This census revealed that certain bells have a high historical and heritage value. Five are referenced ranging from the XV^e have XVII^e century which includes Notre-Dame de l'Assomption in Saint-Aureil. The wall bell tower has two bells. The largest has a diameter of 790 mm and a weight of 290 kg.

It was melted by Clément Lévêque in Montauban in 1869. The smallest has a diameter of 670 mm and an estimated weight of 180 kg. It was founded in 1763 by (J) IB Soyer F and it bears three iconographies.