Eglise romane Saint-Blaise de Clairvaux
At the centre of the medieval village of Clairvaux, this is the Romanesque church of Saint-Blaise, listed Historic Monument.
The first church and its monastery, dedicated to St Peter, were destroyed before the 11th century. The second construction dates from the second half of the 11th century but almost completely collapsed and was rebuilt in its present state between 1698 and 1704 under the authority of the monks of Conques, hence the analogies with their basilica: Romanesque church with a nave with barrel vaulting, semicircular aisles, pillars flanked by engaged pilasters, capitals with interlacing, figures of men and animals; cord and capital carvings with billet decorations. The present church is shorter than the old one: see the old wall with the two blind windows and two pillar bases of the old building.
This Romanesque church, built by the monks of Conques in the second half of the 12th century, bears several resemblances to the Basilica of Conques :
-The quadrangular pillars flanked on all four sides by semi-circular engaged pilasters.
-The capitals with interlacing, acanthus leaves, stylized figures of men and birds
-The two basket-handle arches in the middle of the building seem to occupy, according to some archaeologists, the site of the transept which would have made this church a copy of the one in Conques.
In the chapels framing the choir, two gilded wooden altarpieces from the 17th century represent the mysteries of the Rosary and a Entombment. The portal opens between two columns with recessed heads, perhaps from recumbent figures, and the architrave is surmounted by a triangular pediment.
-This church with three naves ends with a triple apse vaulted in the cul de four. The windows of the old part are semicircular, while the others are pointed arches.
-In a note found at the Château de Panat, it is said that in 1698, the bell tower collapsed on the house of Sieur Boëry and that two people died in the disaster.
-The reconstruction of the destroyed part of the church and the bell tower was completed in 1704.
-The church has been reduced by a good third, it is 24m long, 16m wide and the vault 12m high.