Abbeys and Basilicas in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Romanesque Church
43100 Lavaudieu

Saint-André de Lavaudieu Abbey, a former Benedictine priory of the 12th century, stands in Lavaudieu in Haute-Loire. This Romanesque jewel, transformed into an abbey of canonesses, houses exceptional medieval frescoes and a historical cloister, witness to ten centuries of religious history in Auvergne.

Romanesque Church
26190 Léoncel

The abbey of Léoncel, former Cistercian abbey of the 12th–13th century, stands at 900 m altitude in the Vercors, at Léoncel (Drôme). Its architecture combines Provençal Romanesque art and Burgundy Gothic influences, with a harmonious bedside and an iconic Alpine bell tower, classified as Historic Monument since 1840.

Gothic Church
43160 La Chaise-Dieu

The Saint-Robert Abbey of La Chaise-Dieu, a 14th-century Gothic masterpiece in the Haute-Loire region, was rebuilt under the impulse of Pope Clement VI. It houses a macabre dance and an exceptional historic organ.

Romanesque Church
07350 Cruas

The Abbey of Sainte-Marie de Cruas, a Romanesque jewel of the 11th-XIIth centuries in Ardèche, combines rare monastic rostrum and carved capitals. Ranked a historic monument since 1862, it bears witness to a Benedictine past enlivened between Gallo-Roman villa and Wars of Religion.

Basilica
01480 Ars-sur-Formans

The basilica of Ars, a 19th-century religious building in Ars-sur-Formans (Ain), is a high place of pilgrimage dedicated to the Curé d'Ars. Classified as a historic monument, it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Basilica
69005 Lyon

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, a neo-Byzantine building of the last quarter of the 19th century, dominates Lyon from the hill of Fourvière. A major Marian and architectural symbol, it attracts two million annual visitors.

Romanesque Church
63210 Orcival

The Basilica of Notre-Dame d'Orcival, a jewel of 12th century Romanesque art, stands in Orcival in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Ranked in 1840, it houses a Virgin in majesty venerated since the Middle Ages.

Romanesque Church
43100 Brioude

The Basilica Saint-Julien de Brioude, jewel of the novel Auvergnat, is the largest Romanesque church in Auvergne. Located in Brioude in Haute-Loire, it was built between the 11th and 14th centuries, mixing aquitaine and Burgundy influences, and classified as a historical monument in 1840.