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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of Vauclair, located near Molompize in the Cantal, was built between 1180 and 1210 at the end of the Romanesque period, under limo influence. Dedicated to Our Lady of the Nativity, it initially housed a venerated statue of the Virgin in majesty. Its architecture is distinguished by a unique nave divided into three spans, a comb tower, and a portal topped by a rosette. The glass windows and a baroque table with torso columns (classified in 1987) enrich its interior, while its stone floor dates back to the 15th century.

Founded under the episcopate of Stephen de Mercœur, bishop of Auvergne, the chapel depended on a prioress linked to the Abbey of Our Lady of the Crown. Guillaume Robert, a disciple of Bertrand de Griffeuille, erected an oratory there before entrusting the place to a colleague. In the 13th century, the Augustinians rebuilt the building. In 1476, the chapter of Saint-Flour placed three Gothic "A" above the rosace, marking its taking of possession. After the Revolution, sold as a national property in 1795, it served as a stable before being restored in 1838 by the parish priest Vergne.

Major changes occurred in the 19th century: the Figeac-Arvant Railway (initiated in 1866) changed the topography, causing moisture rises. In 1937, an English court was dug to clean up the foundations. Between 2003 and 2005, a complete restoration (lauze roof, stained glass, lime coated) restored its original radiance to the chapel. A copy of the Virgin was placed there, perpetuating her spiritual and artistic heritage.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1921, the chapel illustrates the religious heritage of Auvergnat, mixing late Romanesque and Gothic additions. Its isolation in the Alagnon valley, visible since the RN 122, makes it an emblematic site of the Cantal, preserved despite the hazards of history. The interior decorations (fauna, polychrome flora) and its golden altarpiece bear witness to an exceptional craftsmanship, while its history reflects the religious and political upheavals of the region.

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