Church à Verrières-en-Forez dans la Loire

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Verrières-en-Forez, mentioned since 984 as possession of the church of Lyon, was originally dedicated to the Virgin. The present building, entirely rebuilt in the first half of the 16th century, presents an elongated plan without transept, with a nave of three spans flanked by collaterals and a five-sided choir. The date of 1541, engraved on the Pieta du tromeau, probably corresponds to the end of the reconstruction work. The coat of arms of the Talaru-Chalmazel, visible on the vault key of the Chapel of the Virgin, suggest their involvement in this project.

The monument is distinguished by its granite architecture, with foothills decorated with sculptures and a western portal studied. Inside, the arches of warheads rest on nested columns, while the arch keys, carved and painted, add an artistic dimension. The term Saint Ennemond, bishop of Lyon in the seventh century, added to that of the Virgin in the seventeenth century. Work in the 19th century, including the widening of the windows of the southern collateral, slightly altered the building without altering its general appearance.

Classified as a Historical Monument in 1938, the church now belongs to the commune. Its four-level bell tower-porch, three access doors and interior decorations make it a major architectural testimony of the Renaissance in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

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