Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste
The Church of Saint John the Baptist, a jewel of Romanesque and Neo-Romanesque architecture, was built between the 11th and the 12th centuries, shortly after the priory was entrusted to the Benedictine monks of La Chaise-Dieu (Diocese of Clermont).
Listed as a Historic Monument since September 24, 1937, several features attest to the building’s architectural richness:
The carved modillions, typical of Romanesque art, are among the church’s most fascinating treasures. Located beneath the cornices of the apse and the south apsidal niche, they reflect the style of the master sculptors of La Chaise-Dieu. Depicting animals, figures, or scenes that are sometimes humorous or moralistic (such as the “beard-puller” or the “twins”), these sculptures often carry symbolic meaning. One striking depiction is that of a woman with snakes, evoking the punishment for lust.
The three windows at the apse also feature beautiful ornamentation: lintels with circular cutouts, small columns, carved capitals, and elegant archivolts.
In 2000, during work in the sacristy, a sarcophagus was discovered under the floor, at the site of the former Saint-François de Sales Chapel, shedding new light on the history of the site.
