Châtel-Montagne - Notre-Dame

In 1082 some Seigneur Dalmas and his wife Étiennette gave all the properties they owned in "Castrumin Montanis", including a church, to Cluny. This legal act was important enough to get an official approval from Pope Urban II in 1095.

A priory was set up - and a small church was erected. Parts of this church can still be found in the church seen here, built 1100 - 1200. The priory never really flourished, the community of monks was small - and already from 1462 on, the church was used as a parish church.

The church is quite large for a remote village of a population well under 500 (today). When it was planned during the boom of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella, Châtel-Montagne was ideally placed on one of the many "Chemin de St-Jacques" in France.

The semicircular choir and the ambulatory around it. Ambulatories are common in churches, visited by many pilgrims, as so the masses could easily walk around the altar, where relics were kept.
Here the choir has six pillars. The capitals have floral decorations. Behind the pillars two of the apse chapels can be seen. Above is a blind arcade with three windows.