Saint-Julien Church à Bongheat dans le Puy-de-Dôme

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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Julien de Bongheat church, located in the Puy-de-Dôme, is a historical monument owned by Manglieu Abbey, which owned a priory in the village. The building consists of a Romanesque nave dating back to the 12th century and a Gothic choir of the 14th century, five-sided, adorned with splint windows. This choir is vaulted with six branches of warheads radiating around a carved key representing a head surrounded by foliage. The windows, characteristic of Gothic architecture, are two-sided shapes surmounted by a quadrilobe.

The span under the bell tower, rebuilt in the 19th century, is covered with a dome on trunks, typical of the region's Romanesque transepts. The church experienced historical upheavals: sold in 1793 with its sacristy for 1,600 pounds, its bell tower was demolished the same year. In 1801-1802, the building, then in good condition, belonged to nine different owners, who restored it to the commune in 1814. The bell tower was rebuilt in 1833 according to the plans of engineer Vimal Teyras, followed by repairs and trompe l'oeil paintings by painter Zannini in 1838.

Restoration and expansion of the sacristy began in 1899-1900, but was discontinued before completion. The church, protected by a decree of 14 May 1969, is now owned by the municipality. Its architecture thus combines Romanesque and Gothic elements, reflecting the stylistic evolutions and historical hazards of the region over the centuries.

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