Church of Notre-Dame

This rather massive church has a Romanesque nave ending in the east with a semicircular apse; the north aisle was added in the 16th century. The interest of this church lies especially in the choir where the Romanesque capitals represent, in the south, Daniel then animals and a frustres character; in the north, the Temptation with the tree, the snake, Eve, Adam, a dressed character (God?) and a bird. The whole testifies to a rich repertoire of motifs that are innovative compared to what was being done in the kingdom at the same time.

About this building

The 13th-century plan includes in a rectangle a central nave for important ceremonies and adjacent side chapels for more intimate ceremonies. It is in these chapels that the oldest sculptures from the 13th-14th centuries are found. This church has undergone some modifications, the most apparent of which date from the 19th century when the neo-gothic style gave great harmony to the monument. The spire from 1865, the vault and the stained glass windows from 1875-1880 show the ambition of the sponsors to imitate the Gothic cathedrals.

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Monuments
  • Atmosphere / quiet space
  • Social heritage

Visitors information

  • Parking within 250m
  • Café within 500m
  • Space to secure your bike

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons/Jacques MOSSOT

Chapelle Saint-Benoît

The chapel of Saint-Benoît was the chapel of the convent of the Ladies of Saint-Benoît founded in 1645. The convent was seized as national property in 1790. It was used as a fodder warehouse and later as a theatre by the municipality. In 1826, the chapel was set up as an emergency chapel, but it was effectively returned to worship in 1839 after restoration. The former conventual buildings were transformed to house the sub-prefecture of Marmande.

Plum Village Monastery

The Plum Village monastery was founded in 1982 by Vietnamese refugees, and is one of Europe’s largest Buddhist monasteries, with over 200 monks and nuns.