Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Georges de Gelles, located in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, is a religious building whose first mention dates back to 1165. That year, a papal bubble of Alexander III confirmed his possession by the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Alyre in Clermont, ending a conflict with Aymon de Rochefort. From the primitive 12th century building, only the choir walls and its Romanesque bays remain today. The last three spans of the nave, added later, as well as the first span and the southern chapel – rebuilt around the 14th or 15th century – testify to an architectural evolution marked by Gothic influences.

In the 17th century, the church underwent important transformations: the Fraternity of the Rosary erected the northern chapel in 1657, while a bell tower was added in 1691 by Jacob Chardon, master mason of Pontgibaud. A fire devastated part of the village and church in 1739, requiring repairs financed by an exceptional tax between 1742 and 1743. The vaults of the last three spans, initially in a broken cradle, could date from this reconstruction. In the 20th century, major restorations were undertaken: in 1928-1929, architect Charles Marc supervised the replacement of covering slabs with slates and the strengthening of vaults, while the arrow was completely restored in 1995.

Saint George's Church thus illustrates nearly nine centuries of religious and architectural history, mixing Romanesque and Gothic styles. Its circular bedside vaulted with warheads, side chapels dedicated to local families (such as the Bansons), and staircases in frame or masonry reflect successive adaptations to liturgical needs and historical hazards. As part of the general inventory of cultural heritage, it remains a major testimony of the Auvergnat rural heritage, marked by the links between local communities and monastic institutions.

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