Sepulchral Chapel of Chambon-sur-Lac

Located in the cemetery enclosure to the east of the village, this chapel dates back to the 10th-12th centuries. It was classified as a Historic Monument in 1862. For a long time, it was identified as a baptistery because of a bronze basin found nearby. In fact, it appears to(…)

Located in the cemetery enclosure to the east of the village, this chapel dates back to the 10th-12th centuries. It was classified as a Historic Monument in 1862. For a long time, it was identified as a baptistery because of a bronze basin found nearby. In fact, it appears to have been a chapel for the burial of lords and members of their families.

The chapel has a slate roof and is built of ashlar. It is built on a central plan, with a straight bay to the west.

Its decoration is very similar to that of the major churches of Basse-Auvergne (Saint-Austremoine in Issoire and Notre-Dame du Mont-Cornadore in Saint-Nectaire). It features plant, human and animal motifs (mermaid-fish, tongue-lashing figures, eagles with outstretched wings, etc.).

The right-hand bay features a doorway whose lintel is a “bâtière”, as is often the case in Basse-Auvergne (Notre-Dame-du-Port in Clermont-Ferrand, Notre-Dame du Mont-Cornadore in Saint-Nectaire), and whose tympanum is adorned with a stone mosaic.