Cahors - Saint Urcisse

A church existed near the banks of the Lot river already in early Christian times.

The church of today was largely built in the 12th century, when a lawsuit between the abbot of Marcilhac and the chapter of the cathedral of Cahors started. Obviously Bishop Géraud III de Cardaillac gave the church (and the income from there) to the abbot of Marcilhac but later the canons claimed that the chapter had opposed it. A decision came in 1188. The church and the adjacent mill remained at the Abbey of Marcilhac, against an annual rent. Saint Urcisse then was a priory up to the end of the 17th century.

After the Revolution the church, the presbytery, the garden and the cemetery surrounding the presbytery sold as national property. It became a saltpetre factory, where explosions were produced. But from 1801 on, it was used as a church again.

As the structure was crumbling a couple of renovation took place during the 19th century. In the 20th century major restoration campaigns were undertaken. In March 1927 , it suffered a flood from the Lot, which caused the vault of the crypt to collapse. The crypt was simply filled and became inaccessible on this occasion.

The bell tower was demolished in 1968. The buttresses were however preserved up to the height of the start of the old arch located above the rose, the gable was also modified.

The last restoration works of the church date from 2010 but the church is still closed for the public, due to its still unstable condition.