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Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Blaise-de-Jonzac is a religious building located in Cussac-sur-Loire, in the Haute-Loire department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. From the late Romanesque period, it is intimately linked to the history of the adjacent clunisian priory, whose existence has been attested from the twelfth century. Originally, it had a single nave of two spans, only the second of which remains today, as well as a vaulted apse in cul-de-four. Its five-sided bedside, pierced with three curved bays, and its western facade, rebuilt after the destruction of the first span, testify to its original architecture.

The chapel retained a cult function until the beginning of the French Revolution, when it was sold as a national good. Since then, it has been used as a barn and warehouse, integrated into a U-shaped Conventual ensemble. Its designation as historic monuments, by order of 9 June 1992, recognizes its heritage value despite the transformations. L-abside, raised by two steps from the nave, and the still visible Romanesque elements recall its religious past and its role in local life.

The clunisian priory, on which it depended, illustrates the influence of the order of Cluny in the region in the Middle Ages. The chapel, although modified, remains a characteristic example of rural religious architecture of that time. Its present state reflects the upheavals associated with the secularization of ecclesiastical property during the Revolution, while preserving traces of its initial use. Today, it is located at the place called Chacornac, at the approximate address of the 9001 Way of the Priory.

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