Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: radial chapel

The parish church Saint-Médulphe was built late 11th / early 12th century. During that time the parish was depending from the old Abbaye de Menat. A "basilica style"-church with a nave and two lower aisles. It has no transept, but an ambulatory and three radial chapels. One of the chapels can be (partly) seen on the right. The portal seen here is about was added within the 13th century, the bell-tower is only about two hundred years old - and the clock even younger.

A previous church at this place was once part of the castle, erected by the Earls of Bourbon on a rocky headland overhanging a meander of the Bouble. In 937 Odo of Cluny, who was the second abbot in Cluny, added this place as a priory to the cluniac sphere. The still existing romanesque church of the "Abbaye Saint-Vincent de Chantelle", was built within the 12th century. Monastic life declined later and after the French Revolution was sold. Mid 19th century it was "bought back" by the abbey of Pradines. Since 1890 ist is a monastery again. The nuns living and working here, produce herbal cosmetics - and sell the worldwide. www.benedictines-chantelle.com/ The church is pretty large, about 38 meters in length. Standing in the nave, aisles to the sides, facing east. The nave has three bays and is 9,80 meters high. Light comes in through the windows in the crossing. The choir has an ambulatory with three radial chapels. As the church is part of the nunnery, tourists and visitors should not cross the line (fence), seen here.

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.