Church of Saint-Nectaire – Notre-Dame du Mont Cornadore

Notre-Dame du mont Cornadore is thought to have been built by Benedictine monks from La Chaise-Dieu (Haute-Loire) in the 12th century, perhaps even in the 11th, as excavations in 2007 suggest. Although we know nothing about its initial function, it seems to have always been dedicated to the cult of(…)

Notre-Dame du mont Cornadore is thought to have been built by Benedictine monks from La Chaise-Dieu (Haute-Loire) in the 12th century, perhaps even in the 11th, as excavations in 2007 suggest. Although we know nothing about its initial function, it seems to have always been dedicated to the cult of Saint Nectaire, companion of the first bishop of Clermont, Saint Austremoine. Pilgrimages to the saint’s tomb and relics contributed to the village’s fame and development.

Damaged during the French Revolution – its bell tower was demolished and part of its treasure melted down – the church was listed as a historic monument in 1840 and restored by the architect Bruyère in 1875.

Built in a single campaign from trachyte lava and porous tuff, it measures 38 meters long, 11 meters wide and 18.5 meters high under the dome.

Although small in size, its location overlooks the entire valley, and the talent of its builders lends the edifice a certain monumentality. Its layout is fairly typical of Auvergne Romanesque art: two front towers, a narthex, a 4-bay nave, two side aisles, a transept with oriented chapels, and a chevet with an ambulatory and three radiating chapels.
The interior features round-arched bays, groin vaults in the aisles and barrel vaulting in the nave.

Notre-Dame du Mont Cornadore is famous for its treasure and its polychrome capitals, particularly those in the choir, forming one of the most remarkable ensembles of Romanesque sculpture. These historiated capitals were like an open book, offering the faithful a form of monumental catechism.

Among the themes illustrated at Saint-Nectaire: several scenes from Christ’s Passion (the arrest, the flagellation, the carrying of the cross), the transfiguration, the multiplication of the loaves, the horseman of the Apocalypse… One of the choir capitals tells the story of Saint Nectaire, evangelizer of the region.

There are also a number of interesting capitals in the nave: the donkey with the lyre, Moses saved from the waters… The treasure, consisting of a bust of Saint Baudime, a Virgin in Majesty Notre-Dame du mont Cornadore, binding dishes and a reliquary arm of Saint Nectaire, can be seen in the church.

The stained glass windows date from the 19th century. The church has recently undergone a complete restoration (interior and exterior), which further enhances its architecture and decor.

It has been a listed monument since 1840.

GUIDED TOURS
Summer program available in the diary

How to get there
The church is located at the top of the old village of Saint-Nectaire.