Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The ancient Benedictine Abbey of Issoire, dated from the 12th and 15th centuries, remains today only by the remains of its capitular hall. This monument, classified by decree of 2 December 1960, consists of two south spans opening to the west on the cloister by arcades. The entrance, in a full arch, falls on carved columns with capitals, while two grooved arches, surmounted by an arc of discharge, rest on columns. The bases of the latter are based on a bahut, typical of auvergnat Romanesque art.

The capitular hall was decorated with murals, with remains remaining on the ridge vaults and the wall opposite the Romanesque bays. These decors, though fragmentary, attest to the abbey's artistic richness. The carved capitals, characteristic of the period, emphasize the importance of this place in medieval monastic life. Today, these remains, owned by the commune, offer a rare testimony of Benedictine architecture in Auvergne.

Located at the approximate address of 5 Place Nicolas Pomel, the abbey is located with an accuracy deemed "a priori satisfactory" (note 7/10). The site, although partially preserved, allows to imagine the spatial organization of the monastery, centered around the cloister. The protected elements, limited to the capitular hall (Cadastre H 481), recall the past extent of the building, now reduced to these emblematic fragments.

External links