Église Notre-Dame du Puy, Romanesque church in Figeac, France.
Église Notre-Dame du Puy stands on the Place du Foirail, overlooking Figeac. Its west facade is built of rectangular grey stone blocks, with a square tower pierced by a louvered opening above a rose window set in concentric rounded arches; two smaller round windows flank the base, where four carved figures project above a horizontal band. The chevet survives from the 13th-century church, with an apse and two apsidioles under slightly pointed cul-de-four vaults.
Construction is attributed to Abbot Gaillard II de Montaigut (1260–1288); in 1286 the Archbishop of Bourges, Simon de Beaulieu, preached inside. The chevet with its apse and two absidioles survives from this campaign. Protestants held the church from 1576 to 1622 and turned the bell tower into a keep; after the Catholic recapture the fortifications were dismantled and the tower, south nave wall and vaults destroyed. Rebuilding ran from 1666 to 1699 under curé Antoine de Laborie.
The church displays carved stone details and a large wooden altarpiece from the 1600s that show the religious craftsmanship valued in this region. Visitors can see these works and understand what mattered to people who lived here centuries ago.
The church is located in the town center of Figeac near other historical buildings and is easy to reach on foot. The elevated position helps you get your bearings when exploring the old town.
The church was the seat of a Saint-Jacques brotherhood, tied to the pilgrimage routes through Figeac. In 1408 a "mantle of beautiful and rich fabric" was placed on the statue of the Virgin at the main altar. The walnut altarpiece closing the choir carries an inscription dated 1696.
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