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Origin and history

Saint Paul Church is a Catholic church located in Vals-le-Chastel, Haute-Loire department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Built mainly in the 15th century, it incorporates older elements, including Romanesque remains mentioned as early as 1078 in the Spipillegium Brivatense. The building, which includes a seigneurial chapel and a bell tower-porch, was bent and pierced at this time, adopting arches of warheads and veins typical of late Gothic architecture.

The church is protected under the title of Historical Monuments: registered in 1962 for its whole, then classified in 1971 for its seigneurial chapel and its murals. The latter, probably dating from the 15th century, represent religious scenes with celestial characters and phylacteries in Gothic writing. The seigneurial chapel, accessible from the nave by a broken arch, also houses medieval stalls, testifying to the importance of the place for the local nobility.

The building consists of three spans, including a sextpartite vault in the nave and four-pointed vaults in the choir. The ribs, with a simple cellar, end in penetration, characteristic of the 15th century. Although the accuracy of its location is considered mediocre (level 5/10), the church remains a remarkable example of the religious architecture of the Haute-Loire, mixing Romanesque heritage and Gothic transformations. The property is shared between the municipality (for the church) and a private owner (for the chapel).

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