Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame d'Authezat, located in the department of Puy-de-Dôme in Authezat, is a religious building whose origins date back to at least the twelfth century, as evidenced by a bubble of 1190 mentioning it. Before the French Revolution, it was an important pilgrimage place dedicated to the Virgin, attracting many faithful. Its current architecture is mainly the result of transformations initiated from the fourteenth century onwards, superimposing Romanesque and Gothic elements.

The building is characterized by a rectangular three-nave plan, separated by massive pillars. The first two spans of the central nave, vaulted with warheads with round keys, form the choir. The warheads of the eastern seams fall on committed columns surmounted by carved friezes, while others fall on caps or frieze capitals without ornament. The square porch, vaulted with warheads, supports a bell tower whose first floor, of origin, is surmounted by a second Renaissance floor added later.

The south gate, in a broken arch with three windows, is a remarkable element of the church. It is adorned with a sculpted lintel with three crowned heads and framed with fencing arch niches. This portal preserves its ancient vantals, typical of the Auvergnat craft, with worked pentures. The entire southern gate, including its vantals, was classified as a historic monument by order of 4 July 1980, while the rest of the building was inscribed on the same date.

The Church of Notre-Dame d'Authezat illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of the region, mixing Romanesque heritage and Gothic innovations. Its classification in 1980 underlines its heritage importance, both for its history and for its artistic characteristics, including the southern gate and its hybrid bell tower. Today it remains a major testimony of the religious heritage of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

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