Sembas: GR® 652 and Cultural Heritage

Sembas can be explored from two perspectives during a stay: through its hiking trails and its buildings, which have different historical connections. The Sembas Loop, la boucle de Lacenne, offers a set-distance route; churches and other historic buildings add a perspective on the area through different building phases and the history of the Lacenne bastide. You can plan your stay around hiking, cultural heritage, or a combination of the two.

Hiking the loop and the GR® 652

The GR® 652, a Way of St James route via Le Puy-en-Velay, passes through Sembas and follows part of the Sembas Loop, la boucle de Lacenne. The loop is 9.6 km long and connects the town hall near Lacenne with the church of the same name and the church in Sembas. From a ridge path, you can see the hamlet of Lacenne and the freestanding bell tower of the church in Sembas.

The two routes offer different ways to plan: the loop gives a specific distance and connects the destinations mentioned; the GR® 652 places Sembas on the Way of St James via Le Puy-en-Velay. Since the GR® follows part of the loop, the routes also share a section. This means you can consider the distance and the pilgrimage route connection separately when planning.

You can reach Sembas via the N21, D13, D113 and D212; the town is about 20 km north of Agen. This information situates Sembas regionally, while 9.6 km is the length of the loop. For planning purposes, these are two different scales: the location in relation to Agen and the length of the local circuit.

The history of the Lacenne bastide

Lacenne was founded in 1283 as a bastide by the King of England and the Abbot of Pérignac. The bastide was established near a church built on the site of a Gallo-Roman villa. This places a dated medieval foundation alongside a much older connection to the church site. The year 1283 dates the foundation of the bastide, not the construction of the church. These are two distinct historical reference points for understanding Lacenne.

The Church of Saint-Cybar de Sembas

The Church of Saint-Cybar de Sembas stands on the Plateau de Serres among plum trees. Its apse appears to date from the Middle Ages. The first bay and two side chapels, which form a transept, were built at the beginning of the 16th century. This brings together an apse with a tentative date and a clearly defined later building phase.

Well and manor house

The Maison forte de Lassalle has a masonry well that provides protected access to a spring at a lower level. Based on the place name La Salle and the masonry, the building is dated to the late 13th or early 14th century. This is a historical dating range, not an exact construction year.

The Château de Lacenne is arranged around an enclosed courtyard, with a residential building at the far end. Access was through a dovecote gatehouse, which has since been demolished. The courtyard, residential building, and former entrance describe different parts of the complex.

Discover more destinations: Thézac, Tombeboeuf, Gontaud-De-Nogaret, Lévignac-De-Guyenne, Astaffort, Montayral, Leyritz-Moncassin, Saint-Maurin.

For the wider travel overview: Lot Et Garonne.