Our Lady of Mailhat Church à Lamontgie dans le Puy-de-Dôme

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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of Mailhat, located in the village of Mailhat (comune of Lamontgie, Puy-de-Dôme), has its origin in the donation of the Lord of Banciac to the Clunisian Abbey of Sauxillange around 1069-1070, confirmed by Pope Urban II in 1096. Two monks of Sauxillange founded a priory, which also became a parish church, combining monastic life and local worship. The monks saw tithe there and prayed for the deceased until the Revolution, which abolished the priory.

The present building, built in the 13th century, adopts a Benedictine plan inspired by Vézelay: nave with three spans, transept with dome, and choir with radiant chapels. In the 14th century, a funeral chapel was added, and the church, originally dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, took the name of Notre-Dame. The fifteenth century saw the addition of a sacristy, two northern chapels (one restored in 1613), and a stair tower leading to a fortified floor. The southern gate, adorned with humanoid figures symbolizing vices, and carved wooden vantals (late 15th), testify to this period.

Classified as a historical monument since 1859, the church houses two Virgins with Children in Romanesque Majesty, classified in 1902. Our Lady of Mailhat (XII-11th century), made of polychrome wood, restored between 1994 and 1996, was copied in 2003 for its protection. Our Lady of Varennes (11th century) was stolen in 1974. The architecture, close to Vézelay, is distinguished by its narthex framed with columns and its choir with historic or plant capitals.

The priory, affiliated with the order of Cluny, illustrates the influence of Benedictines in Auvergne. Its primitive plan (13th century) was partially modified in the 15th and 16th centuries, but retains Romanesque elements such as carved capitals. The monks, present until the Revolution, marked local history with their spiritual and economic role, through the management of tithes and prayers for the deceased.

Today, the church remains a major example of Clunisian Romanesque art in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with Burgundian architectural influences. Its sculpted decoration, medieval statues and early status as a historical monument make it a must-see heritage site, linked to the religious and seigneurial history of the region.

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