Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

Originally, this building appears to have served as a chapel to the priory of Azérat, which depended on the abbey of la Chaise-Dieu. Around the 14th or 15th century, the chapel was raised to the status of parish church. The primitive church comprised only a nave of three bays preceding the crossing of a transept and the apse with five sides. This transept appears never to have been completed in its entirety, but it was begun on the north side by the construction of an apsidiole and a double-roll vault opening that opened onto the north transept arm. The western façade has retained its portal, window and 12th-century gable. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Romanesque nave was doubled by a north aisle vaulted with a rib vault with historiated bosses. The bell tower stage dates from the same period. This bell tower and the aisle are certainly the work of the monks of la Chaise-Dieu. The external decoration of the apse is characteristic: the windows are set within a large clearly pointed arch, moulded on the edge and falling onto a sort of abacus located at the buttresses.