Église de Biennat

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

Before the present church there existed a Romanesque church, of which some parts remain. The present building was begun in 1262. Only the south transept arm and the bell tower, which in falling damaged it, were altered in the middle of the 17th century. The church is in the form of a Latin cross, with a flat chevet. The entrance is of the type common to Limousin in the 13th century. The south façade underwent alterations in the 17th century. The north façade has retained its primitive aspect, remnant of the Romanesque church. A rectangular tower allows access to the roof space. Octagonal bell tower with four twin windows. Three were remade in 1761 and the other, on the north face, dates from the 13th century. The crossing of the transept is covered by an octagonal dome on pendentives, supported by four large pointed arches springing from square pillars. The dome is pierced, at its summit, by an oculus. The north transept arm is vaulted with ribs of trilobate profile springing from columnette supports. Octopartite vault with tiercerons and formeret ribs. It is an important monument of transition between the Romanesque and Gothic periods, with Cistercian predominance.