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Origin and history

Saint-Jean de Saint-Étienne-de-Fursac Church, located in the village of Paulhac en Creuse, is a religious building of Templar origin. Founded in the 13th century, it was part of the command of Paulhac, later incorporated into the order of the Hospitallers of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem after the dissolution of the Templars. This monument, classified in 1938, preserves significant architectural and pictorial traces, including ivy vaults and frescoes of the late 13th century.

The chapel of Saint-Fiacre, joined to the church, was built in 1449 and has a western door decorated with a lintel in a brace. The ensemble illustrates the transition between the medieval and Renaissance periods, with late Gothic elements. The church, a communal property, bears witness to the religious and military history of the region, linked to monastic orders and their role in territorial organization.

The site, now protected, preserves remains of its templar and hospitable past, particularly in its unique five-span structure. The painted, though fragmentary, decorations offer a rare glimpse of medieval religious art in Limousin. Paulhac's command office, to which the church was attached, depended on the great priory of Auvergne, stressing its regional importance.

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