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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Vernais, located in the village of the same name, was initially a priory-curtain attached to the Benedictine abbey of Charenton-du-Cher. Founded in the middle of the 12th century, this priory was abolished in 1503, although the annexed parish lasted until the Revolution. At that time, the building was sold as a national good, marking a turning point in its use: the nave became a private home, while the choir and l'abside were transformed into a funeral chapel.

The church architecture is divided into three distinct parts, reflecting successive building campaigns. The single nave, not vaulted, and the span of the bell tower, covered with a dome on trunks, probably date from the second half of the 12th century. The choir, arched in a slightly broken cradle, was raised at the hinge of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. These elements illustrate the transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles, characteristic of the period.

A remarkable element of the building is the large wall painting adorning the cul-de-four de l'abside, representing the Coronation of the Virgin. Made in the late 13th century, this fresco shows Christ and Mary sitting side by side, surrounded by angel musicians arranged on two registers. The eight-lobe medallion surrounding the scene bears witness to the artistic influence of the period, mixing religious symbolism and medieval aesthetics.

Classified as a Historical Monument by order of 10 May 1995, the church — along with its fence wall — is now owned by the municipality of Vernais. Its state of conservation and successive transformations (housing, private chapel) make it a rare testimony of the religious and social history of Berry, between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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