Saint-Hilaire-la-Croix

What is the parish church of the tiny village of Saint-Hilaire-la-Croix today, was the church of a priory, depending on Mozat around 1165.
In the beginning the priory was named "Saint-Hilaire-lac-rouge", but over the time, the old name got a little "deformed". There is not much known about the priory. In the early years it served the pilgrims on their way - and somehow it was important enough, to built (and finance) such an extraordenary church. Bernard Craplet ("Auvergne romane") dates the building phase from around 1100 to 1200. Later Augustinian Canons and Vincentians lived here. Not a sucess story for the next centuries the buildings were sold already in 1742.

For such a small place, the church is rather large. Most striking is the northern portal seen here.