Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Sainte-Croix

Goscelin, the Lord of Pierre-Buffière, had a feudal confict with the Vice Count of Limoges. This conflict was settled by the Solignac Abbey. So in 1061 Gocelin had Sainte-Croix built and put it under the sovereignity of the Solignac Abbey. In the 13th century the village grew around the church, that got modified a couple of times over the centuries.

In 1239 Thibaut IV de Champagne (= "Theobald I of Navarre"), Count of Champagne, had led the "Barons' Crusade" to the Holy Land. When he returned home, he carried a piece of the "True Cross" with him. This piece was kept in this church, that got built on swampy grounds. Destroyed by fire in the 14th century, the church got rebuilt again. During teh French Revolution, the nave was used as a gunpowder factury, while the choir wa converted into a "Temple of Reason". The church was built with wooden foundations. Due to the unstable ground many backfillings were necessery. After the draining of the marsh the old foundations started to disintegrate and the church sank again, so it is under constant monitoring and restoration. The piece of the Holy Cross was not the only souvenir Thibaut IV de Champagne brought home. It is said, that he introduced the "Damask rose" to Provins. Cultivation of roses is still important, and rose honey and rose candies are offered in the shops.

The wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved in 1115 by pope Paschal II. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. There are some very nice corbels under the roof of the nave. Here is a bearded face. Faces like this can often be seen on medieval corbels. This one is nice done - and in a good conditition.

The wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved in 1115 by pope Paschal II. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. There are some very nice corbels under the roof of the nave. The animal on the corbel is very similar to the carnivorous neighbour, just seen, but it is carved more detailled. This one even has nostrils. Bernard Craplet identified a fox here. The animal holds a round bread (?) decorated with a cross and is just biting into it. I have seen corbels, depicting animals holding round objects in their mouths, quite often, but I do not know the specific meaning of it.

The wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved in 1115 by pope Paschal II. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. There are some very nice corbels under the roof of the nave. Here is an evil carnivorous animal biting into the chin of a human face. The animal is holding the human head with it´s small paws. Compare this with the next corbel, depicting the vegan version.

The wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved in 1115 by pope Paschal II. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. There are some very nice corbels under the roof of the nave. Here is a "tongue-sticker". Some old "rouge" seems to be still on his cheeks.

The wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved in 1115 by pope Paschal II. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. This refers to the transept, choir, ambulatory, apses, as this parts of the church were erected in one building phase - and are homogenious and elegant. The nave was added later. It lacks the elegance and was altered a couple of times, before two of the four bays were demolished in 1779, changing the proportions. The capitals here are very simple, compared, what was carved in this area around 1100. A four-legged, very flexibel animal. As nearby is that beast having one head and two snake-bodies, this may be a mythical beast as well. On the right a "cross moline". This cross is carved pretty neat, compared to the animal.

The wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved in 1115 by pope Paschal II. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. This refers to the transept, choir, ambulatory, apses, as this parts of the church were erected in one building phase - and are homogenious and elegant. The nave was added later. It lacks the elegance and was altered a couple of times, before two of the four bays were demolished in 1779, changing the proportions. The capitals here are very simple, compared, what was carved in this area around 1100. Here are two snakes, sharing one human head. Very symmetrical. Actually there is only a face with hardly any forhead and tiny ears. A beast of horror, with a scary look.

This wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved by pope Paschal II in 1115. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. The choir of Sainte-Croix. The altar is centered in the middle of the semicircel created by six pillars, that mark the border between choir and ambulatory. Lots of light comes in through the windows of the ambulatory, behind the pillars and the windows of the arcades in the "second floor". The large suspended lamp, hanging down from the center of the cupola, is probably an addition of the last century.

This wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved by pope Paschal II in 1115. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. Looking up - into the cupola of the crossing. Note the squinches.

This wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved by pope Paschal II in 1115. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. Standing in the nave, facing east. Sainte-Croix, built from whithe limestone, has the "traditional" layout of a Latin Cross. The transept, the choir and the ambulatory are all built in a very homogeneous style within one building phase. Note the cupola over the crossing.

This wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved by pope Paschal II in 1115. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. Seen from south, the proportions of the nave are suprising. Actually the western part of the nave was demolished in 1779. Only two of the probably four bays are still there. Of course a new portal was added - and the number 1779 was engraved there. There were two construction phases. The transept and the apses and the ambulatory were built in a short period, probably by only one group of very experienced builders. The nave was added later - and altered a couple of times.

This wonderful church in tiny Veauce (pop. less than 50) was built within the 11th century. It was given to the abbey of St. Leger of Ebreuil by chevalier Aimon de Veauce, what was approved by pope Paschal II in 1115. Not much more is known about the early history of this church. The architect obviously was very ambitious and did a great job. So this church is sometimes compared with Notre-Dame de Saint-Saturnin. For Bernard Craplet, author of "Auvergne Romane", this is one of the nicest and most interesting churches in the Bourbonnais, mixing architectural influences of the Limagne and the Auvergne. Here seen the apse, the ambulatory, the northern transept and the crossing tower. The top floor of the tower is pretty youn. This was added in 1882.

Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule is a nice little town, with a well known wine and an interesting church. Sainte Croix is a huge church. Once this was the church of benedictian monastery (founded 6th century), of which architectoral traces still can be found around the church. The first construction phase started within the 11th century, so romanesque walls can be seen in the nave - in the first bays. Further east the structure is gothic (13th), incl. the radial chappels of the choir. The church got looted and heavily damaged during/after the French Revolution, what is still very visible. During the 19th century the church got reconstructed. A neoclassical facade was added and the bell tower got a new spire. The gothic apses are interesting, but as they are under reconstruction, I could not take any good shots. The most interesting is the vaulting - from wood.

Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule is a nice little town, with a well known wine and an interesting church. Sainte Croix is a huge church. Once this was the church of benedictian monastery (founded 6th century), of which architectoral traces still can be found around the church. The first construction phase started within the 11th century, so romanesque walls can be seen in the nave - in the first bays. Further east the structure is gothic (13th), incl. the radial chappels of the choir. The church got looted and heavily damaged during/after the French Revolution, what is still very visible. During the 19th century the church got reconstructed. A neoclassical facade was added and the bell tower got a new spire. The gothic apses are interesting, but as they are under reconstruction, I could not take any good shots. The most interesting is the vaulting - from wood.

Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule is a nice little town, with a well known wine and an interesting church. Unfortunately it did not have a helpful person in the "Office de Tourisme", an experience I never had in France before. Maybe I was too late, as I entered the office only 20 minutes before closing time. Standing on the "Place Foch". The belfry to the right, the spire of Sainte Croix on the left. Behind the facade is the "cour des Bénédictins", once the center of a monastery, founded 6th century.