Notre-Dame Church

Built at the end of the 10th century, Notre-Dame church is the only building to have survived from the medieval sanctuaries inside the fortified walls (Saint-Paul, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Jean-du-Marthuret, Sainte-Croix). Some remains of the Saint-Paul church can still be seen in Place Sully. Once a collegiate church, Notre-Dame was managed by(…)

Built at the end of the 10th century, Notre-Dame church is the only building to have survived from the medieval sanctuaries inside the fortified walls (Saint-Paul, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Jean-du-Marthuret, Sainte-Croix). Some remains of the Saint-Paul church can still be seen in Place Sully. Once a collegiate church, Notre-Dame was managed by a chapter of 12 to 16 canons until 1790.

The church is built of arkose and volcanic stone. Its elongated plan measures 35 meters long by 13 meters wide. The oldest parts, the west aisle and nave, date back to the 10th century. The nave vaults, hemicyclic chevet with four radiating chapels and ambulatory date from the 12th century. The entrance on the south façade is preceded by a porch built in the 17th century. In 1679, the choir and its vaults underwent major restoration work. The bell tower was built in the 19th century to replace the old one destroyed during the French Revolution.

The church was the site of an important cult of Saint Thecla, attested to in the Middle Ages. When the church was rebuilt, her relics were rediscovered, sparking a revival of devotion. The stained glass windows are the work of Émile Thibaud, master glassmaker in Clermont-Ferrand (1862). The church boasts a large collection of tombstones, most of which date from the 17th century and bear witness to the trades of the parishioners: stationer, carpenter, tailor, magistrate…

The church was listed as a Monument Historique in 1840.