Saint Sylvain Church

The commune, formed from the former parishes of Lamonzie Saint-Martin and Monteil, is located on the main Bordeaux - Bergerac highway. Lamonzie owes its foundation and name to a monastery, "La Mongia" built by Bozon II, Count de la Marche.

During the last century, the vestiges of a Gallo-Roman villa came to light: thermal baths, aqueduct, as well as part of a sarcophagus.

In addition to having an interesting historic past, Lamonzie Saint-Martin is a very lively commune with more than 2000 inhabitants and a business park with increasing activity.

Away from the town, the commune benefits from more than six kilometres of Dordogne river banks where it is pleasant to walk, fish, go boating...

The commune has two rural holiday cottages and a warm welcome for all.

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LAMONZIE SAINT MARTIN Coat of Arms

Choice of the SHIELD, the PARTITION, and the FURNITURE and ORNAMENTS
1- A modern shield for a modern, developing commune.
2- A tiercé in pale because of the city’s distinctive characteristic, being made up of three former parishes that have three churches, three castles...
3- Three stars symbolise the three communities, each one keeping its character (parochialism) and earned gold: each former parish has succeeded in living in harmony in only one commune for more than 200 years.
4- The coat of arms of an abbess holding the bell tower of Saint Sylvan church in its heart, recalls the memory of the monastery created on its lands, before the year 1000, by Boson le Vieux, Count of Périgord.
5-Three silver towers represent the three castles of Lamonzie Saint Martin, one of which has disappeared.
(Showing three entire castles would weigh down and overload the shield.)
6- The Surrounding Wall. We have insisted on keeping a very old tradition, disparaged by some because of its generalisation (a habit that marks municipal coats of arms). For the Surrounding Wall we set out only the number of towers visible. Because of our particularity, we have chosen three towers. If the first Surrounding Wall was given to a squire in reward for a brave action, we wish, by these means, to show that Lamonzie-St. Martin, the discreet, the peaceful, is ready to defend itself if necessary.
7- Two golden uprooted trees support the coat of arms: numerous fruit orchards have thrived in our area for a very, very long time, apple trees in particular. The apple tree belongs to the cycle of Venus, remarkable for the general purpose held for the use of plants, to love, make itself loved. The apple, the best fruit. Isn’t it said that it helps one avoid the doctor? Is that the reason that Adam and Eve mustn’t eat it? (There are no sick people in paradise.) The mission of the red apples is to invite us to perpetuate the tradition by inspiring a new start if necessary.
8- Spirit: “The device that explains the attributes it accompanies is called spirit.”
THREE CHURCH TOWERS, ONE VOICE: is therefore a spirit.

Explanation of the Colours
- Gold, metal, stable, evokes perfection, faith that “moves mountains”.
- Silver, metal given to young squires who attain the rank of knights. This metal also signifies prudence and purity that the soul regains.
- Azure, colour of the firmament and of water. Our river, the Dordogne, flows alongside the north of the commune. Azure symbolises royal virtue; justice; the colour of the kings’ coat, of France “the Church’s Oldest Daughter”.
- Red, war enamel that suits noble knights so well that they filled their coats of arms with victory in heroic combats. Red symbolises force. Blood is the medium of regeneration and of life in general.

The Numbers
According to F.CADET DE GASSICOURT and BARON DU ROURE DE PAULIN (Hermetism in Heraldic Art), in hermetism, we find the compound key that interests us (the 3 being a numeral, a particularity of the commune). The meaning given for the numerals that interest us:

3 or 2 + 1 : the ternary…GENERATION
(represents the world in action)
6 or 3 + 3 : the double ternary…PROGRESS
(represents the world in formation)
9 or 3 x 3 : the triple ternary…KNOWLEDGE
(represents the world in creation)

Document made out in 1998 by Mrs. Marie-Thérèse VERDIER of LAMONZIE SAINT MARTIN



Text translated by Pays du Grand Bergeracois (professional translator).