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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Illide d-Alleuze, located near the village of La Barge in the municipality of Alleuze (Cantal), is a religious building dating back to the 12th century. It was partially destroyed around 1390 by the roadmen of Aymerigot Marchés, the leaders of armed bands plundering the area during the Hundred Years War. Only the semicircular abside and the nave walls survived these devastations, testifying to the initial plan: a nave of three vaulted spans in the middle of the hangar, extended by an apse choir surmounted by a cul-de-four.

At the beginning of the 15th century, the church was raised from its ruins with major modifications: reconstruction of a wooden ceiling for the nave, addition of two arched side chapels near the choir, and partial erection of a rectangular bell tower on the west gable. A porch was also integrated into the second span of the nave. The triumphal arch, supported by capitals decorated with plant motifs (leaves or fruits), illustrates the persistent Romanesque influence. The sacristy, added later, was rebuilt in 1824.

The bell tower, rectangular, has bays in the middle of the hanger and houses a bell dated 1558. The church, bordered by a cemetery and close to the castle of Alleuze and the Truyère, was inscribed in the historical monuments on 9 March 1927. Its history reflects the medieval upheavals and later architectural adaptations, while preserving remarkable Romanesque elements such as capitals or the abside.

Today, the church of Saint-Illide remains a testimony of the religious and medieval heritage of Cantal, linked to local community life. Its location at the foot of a hill, connected by a cross road to the village of La Barge, highlights its spiritual and historical role in the region. The property of the commune is always associated with cultural and heritage practices.

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