The village of Ardes

Seat of a priory and then of a large community of priests until the 18th century, the lower quarter combined religious and artisanal functions. The church of Saint-Dizain, a tall, pinkish-brown tufa vessel, is easy to spot. This Gothic church was built over 200 years, between the first third of(…)

Seat of a priory and then of a large community of priests until the 18th century, the lower quarter combined religious and artisanal functions. The church of Saint-Dizain, a tall, pinkish-brown tufa vessel, is easy to spot. This Gothic church was built over 200 years, between the first third of the 13th century and the 15th century. These different construction phases make it a fine testimony to the evolution of the Gothic style, visible in its architecture and decorations. Inside, you’ll discover splendid medieval furnishings of the highest quality, such as the Virgin of Pity, the Saint Hubert scene and the Passion of Christ cycle, carved on wood and dating from the 15th-16th centuries. The church roof is supported by ribbed vaults. At the back of the church, a small chapel contains the relic of Saint Dizain.

Founded in the 13th century, the “high” or “new” town of Ardes is the expression of a seigneurial will. In the 12th-13th centuries, the Mercoeur lords established themselves as one of the largest estates in Auvergne. The regular layout of Ardes is typical of medieval urban development. On either side of the Grande-Rue, deep, narrow plots of land are laid out in “strips”. You’ll catch a glimpse of these as you pass through the sometimes covered passageways.