Saint-Pardoux church

In the 13th century, a Gothic building was erected on the Romanesque foundations. The southern entrance portal remains from this Romanesque edifice (17th-century painting).

The church also features a large triumphal arch (resting on engaged columns surmounted by capitals with plant motifs). According to tradition, this arch marked the(…)

In the 13th century, a Gothic building was erected on the Romanesque foundations. The southern entrance portal remains from this Romanesque edifice (17th-century painting).

The church also features a large triumphal arch (resting on engaged columns surmounted by capitals with plant motifs). According to tradition, this arch marked the entrance to the original Romanesque choir, prior to subsequent alterations.

Keystones with figures and plant motifs complete this ornamental ensemble, which can be dated to the 14th century.

Work undertaken in the 17th century does not allow us to say whether the original Romanesque choir has been preserved. Two side chapels were built in the 15th century, the bays of the north nave date from the 16th and 17th centuries, and the altarpiece can be dated between 1720 and 1740. In 1735, Saint-Pardoux had 1,300 communicants (the entire adult population), and St. Anne is the church’s patron saint, celebrated on the last Sunday in July.

The church’s layout is surprisingly atypical: it is not built as a cross, and faces north rather than east.

When the church is not open, the key is available on request in the house opposite the entrance (house with veranda).

Guided tours are offered during school vacations.