The Magnificent Church of Saint-Georges-de-Lévéjac: A Work of Art by Lozerian Craftsmen

the essential It is in a church restored by Lozerian craftsmen, whose stained glass windows, the altarpiece, the blue starry ceiling, the Virgin and the child, the processional cross or the rose window in shimmering colors, have regained all their brilliance , you can see the nativity scene made by Claude Badaroux, in Saint-Georges-de-Lévéjac, in Lozère. On 20 m2, a Caussenard village comes to life before eyes amazed by the attention to detail which gives the whole the status of a work of art. A source of pride for the mayor of this small village, which has been attached, since 2017, to the new commune Massegros Causses Gorges, Millavois Guy de Souza.

The adventure began in 2003, in Saint-Georges-de-Lévéjac, in Lozère, just a few kilometers from Sévérac-le-Château, whose mayor is today Guy de Souza from Millavois. “With a mill with mechanized blades and a wooden crib,” admits Claude Badaroux almost shyly with a pretty smile. Then, over the years, it has been enriched by numerous achievements which, in 18 years, total no less than 18,000 hours of work. Models on a scale of 1/25 (1 meter represents 4 cm) for which everything has been measured.

18,000 hours of work

Then, it was necessary to cut the limestone stones, one by one, recovered from old quarries or in the fields, before gluing them with tile adhesive. “It’s a passion, an addiction, an immense pleasure to build. I work mostly at night, it relaxes me and concentration is easier.

Looking at this village, we see an evolution from one year to the next; if you look at the size of the stones, you will see that on certain constructions, the most recent, they are smaller. It’s more aesthetic. The most difficult thing is building roofs because you sometimes have to break ten tiles to install one. But what requires the most attention from me are the bell towers because the Spanish tile is very fragile and I have to arrive at the very top…” Insatiable, Claude Badaroux can be very proud of what his hands, his will and his enthusiasm have managed to share.

Thus, everyone will have great pleasure in recognizing the magnificent church of La Piguière, nearby, which weighs 280 kilos, the family home decorated with its furniture, the bread oven of the Bastide, the Caussenard farm of Longuelouve, the cazelle, the church and presbytery of Saint-Georges-de-Lévéjac or the bridge of Saint-Chély-du-Tarn under which the river flows peacefully (with pump mechanism and water return). Not far away, the fishermen’s spring, in which a few rooms already cover the bottom, the bread oven, the also mechanized well, a sinkhole, and a number of rural scenes which once punctuated the daily life of these hardworking peasants.

We smile when we see the chickens pecking, the prettily arranged hives or the tinsel patiently awaiting the arrival of a thrush, the cows tasting the salt placed in the troughs, the lambs grazing in the fresh meadow or the pigs wallowing in the defilement… Without forgetting the 200 subjects, whether they were figurines, domestic animals or more wild ones. And what can we say when we see the two hanging vultures which required an hour of patience to install them…

So many moments that take the curious back, not without a touch of nostalgia, to memories that are still very vivid. Suspended moments where the mind escapes with obvious pleasure. Claude Badaroux is perfectly aware of all this. This life that passes before our eyes is obviously his own, even more significant. “Of course, I could do even better, particularly in terms of landscapes, enlarge the whole (note that the church of Roucous or the chapel of Soulages remained in his workshop, due to lack of space, Editor’s note), add hills , improve the reflection of the bridge in the river… But what I would like above all is to be able to have a place to offer a permanent exhibition. »

This is especially true since setting up this crèche requires a solid team of volunteers to put in 80 to 100 hours of work, or three weeks. So much so that this is certainly the last year that it will be offered in the church of Saint-Georges-de-Lévéjac. “I have another project that will last me two or three years but it’s a secret…” adds Claude Badaroux under the amused eye of Guy de Souza, mayor of the village, just as keen to highlight the local heritage. value.
In the meantime, this magnificent crèche can be discovered every day since, until February 20, while videos recounting ten years of its evolution are visible on YouTube. “When the children come to admire the nursery and I see their smiles, it’s my pay,” Claude admits humbly. But faced with this level of perfection, adults enjoy becoming… children again and dreaming in these troubled times.

2023-12-26 08:03:15
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