Souillac - Sainte-Marie

Souillac is another town, that I cannot pass, without stopping and visiting the former abbey-church. Legends tell, that the abbey was founded by Saint Eligius (Saint Eloi), advisor of Merovingian King Dagobert I. The abbey got destroyed by the Saracens, Charlemagne commissioned the reconstruction, that again ruined got by Norman invaders. Of course it got looted during the Wars of Religions, but existed upto the French Revolution.

The abbey-church, today serving the parish, got built on the blueprint of a Latin Cross in the 12th century. The single nave is about 15 ms wide. Above the nave are no vaults, but three domes, similar to Saint-Front in Périgueux and Saint Etienne in Cahors.