Église Saint-Nicolas

English translation

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History

Romanesque edifice with a nave of three bays and aisles connected by means of a bay to the chevet and to two hemicycle absidioles. The central vessel is covered with a broken barrel vault on transverse arches. The piers are cruciform, flanked with columns bearing capitals decorated with interlace and foliage. On the aisles, broken transverse arches springing along the outer walls on pilasters with imposts, separate groin vaults raised at their summits, no doubt launched later. The primitive vaults were to be in quarter circle, following the method adopted in the region. The present façade dates from the 18th century, after the collapse of the western bays following a landslide. The south wall is pierced with a Romanesque door of a more archaic type than the rest of the edifice. In the gable in front of the chevet is outlined a large pointed arch corresponding internally to a level lower than that of the broken barrel vault of the nave. This arch suggests that, at the time of the construction of this barrel vault, a new higher chevet had been conceived but not executed. Bell tower dating from the 12th century having retained its buttresses, destroyed by lightning in 1755. The upper part of the bell tower was rebuilt in the Romanesque style, with two geminated openings on each face, during the classical period (17th or 18th century).