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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Léger de Cheylade, located in the Cantal in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, is a Romanesque building erected in the 12th century. Built of local volcanic stone, it was partially destroyed during the Hundred Years' War and rebuilt and rebuilt between the 15th and 17th centuries. Its history is marked by successive phases of restoration, especially after fires linked to the Wars of Religion. The interior, sober, is distinguished by a walled wooden ceiling, divided into 1,360 boxes painted with naive and symbolic motifs, probably made around 1740 by an anonymous artist.

The first church in Cheylade, attested as early as the 9th or 10th century, depended on the bishopric of Clermont before being attached to that of Saint-Flour after the Revolution. The present building retains Romanesque elements, such as the absidioles and the absidioles, but its structure was profoundly altered in the 15th and 16th centuries, with the addition of side chapels and a porch-clocher. In the 17th century, architect Pierre Levesville supervised major works, including the creation of the painted wooden vault, now classified. The paintings of the caissons, representing animals, flowers and Christian symbols, reflect a late medieval iconography, unique in the department.

The church, long owned by the bishopric of Clermont, was sold as a national property after the Revolution, during which time it suffered degradation, including the melting of its bells. In the 19th century, minor changes, such as the addition of sacristy and false towers, slightly altered its appearance. Ranked a historic monument in 1963 for its exceptional ceiling, it bears witness to the architectural and artistic evolution of a small auvergne rural parish, between Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque influences.

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