Église Saint-Sylvain

English translation

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History

Building with a single nave, divided into five bays, leading to a semi-circular apse. The fourth bay is covered by a dome on pendentives which serves as the base for the bell tower. The latter has three square storeys, the first appearing to date from the same period as the church. It presents, on each face, a gallery with three arcades, separated by a small buttress in the form of a cylinder. The second storey is pierced with two round-headed windows on each face. The third comprises glacis indicating the idea of erecting an octagonal spire. Access to the bell tower is by a spiral staircase whose beginning is on the outside, on the south façade. The portal comprises a series of three archvolts resting on columns with roughly carved capitals. On each side of the portal and on each side of the first bay, six large buttresses rise to the level of the roof space. Their construction and their position indicate a defensive purpose. To the north and south of the third bay are chapels each having a square absidiole. The external façade of the chevet is divided into five bays separated from each other by buttresses formed of a bundle of columns and in the axis, a window with two rows of archvolts with sculpted joint cover. Above runs a row of arcades whose lintels rest on sculpted corbels.