Église Saint-Prix

English translation

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History

The cure of Bertignat was invested, before 1789, with the archpriest of Livradois which comprised the abbey of la Chaise-Dieu, the monasteries of Blorat and Chaumont, twenty-seven priories, fifty five cures or vicaries, two hospitals, eight chapels, a lazar house and several oratories. This church presents an oriented plan comprising a western mass to one bay surmounted by a bell tower, a nave of two bays opening onto aisles, and a choir of one bay to which succeeds a polygonal chevet of five sides. The whole is vaulted with rib vaults, with doubled ribs. Flamboyant tracery. The baptismal fonts consist of a niche sheltering two circular basins, sheltered under a depressed arch received on posts. A rebate is hollowed into the frame to receive the two doors of the cupboard. Along the posts project engaged small columns, with spirals, placed at the height of the basins, on polygonal bases raised on plinths whose angles present small prismatic motifs. These small columns are surmounted, at the level of the arch of the niche, by an inclined face on which is sculpted in low relief an escutcheon on the left, a human mask on the right. Above rises a pinnacle with crockets. The arch of the niche is surmounted by a beaded ogee above which are sculpted large cut-out foliage, on either side of the point of this ogee, which a short prismatic element separates from the large polygonal base. The cross preserved in the south chapel must have been exposed outside for a long time judging from the wear on the granite. Shaft with bulging base and cylindrical arms decorated with rounded buttons. The extremities are decorated with a large button charging the edge, from which radiate four blossoming fleurons. On one face the crucifix Christ presents a head with a bearded face, leaning to the right, framed by long hair falling on the shoulders. On the upper part, a banderole is placed diagonally, bearing in Gothic characters the inscription INRI. On the opposite face, a Virgin and Child. This edifice is a good example of Auvergnat Gothic. Restored in 1835.