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Origin and history

Saint-Austermoine Church, located in Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues in Puy-de-Dôme, is a religious building dating back to the 10th century. Around the year 950, a first building dedicated to Saint Austremoine, called Eccesia nova, depended on the priory of Issoire. The present church, mainly built in the 12th and 13th centuries, preserves in its choir remains of this early period, while its bell tower-porch dates back to 1818.

The Romanesque architecture of the church is distinguished by its atypical orientation (north-east/south-west) and its sculpted capitals, illustrating religious scenes like St.Michel's terrorizing the dragon or Christ on the cross. The decorations include plant, animal and character motifs, typical of auvergnate imagery. The nave, flanked by collaterals, leads to a choir in hemispheric apse, supplemented by a sacristy to the northeast.

Three elements of the furniture are classified as historical monuments: an 18th century altarpiece, a wooden statue of Saint Austermoine (XV century), and a Virgin of Pitié (XVI century). The church, registered in 1969, bears witness to the local religious history, linked before 1789 to a priory and to the parish of Saint-Alyre-es-Montagnes, under the archpried of Ardes.

Prior to the Revolution, Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues housed a priory and a cure for the election of Issoire. The site, mentioned since 950, was a major place of worship in the region, as evidenced by the Carolingian remains and medieval additions. The 19th-century bell tower and catechism room (early 20th century) reflect its architectural evolution and its continuing role in the community.

Historic capitals, such as those representing damned ones in hell or Saint Michael fighting evil, are part of the auvergnate Romanesque sculptural tradition. These works, combined with interior paintings, underline the artistic and spiritual importance of the building. Today the church remains a remarkable example of the religious heritage of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

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