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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre de Raulhac, located in the Cantal in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, is a building whose origins date back to the 12th century. From this first Romanesque construction, today only the entrance gate remains, integrated with a porch of the late 14th century. This gate, with five archvolts and naive capitals, is surmounted by a square bell tower rebuilt in 1567, flanked by a hexagonal tower. The present building, mainly of the fifteenth century, was erected under the patronage of the Viscounts of Carlat, as evidenced by the coat of arms of Bonne de Berry and his son Bernard VIII d'Armagnac on the arch keys.

The nave, from the end of the 15th century, extends 33 meters long and 16 wide, vaulted dogives and divided into four spans. It houses seven lateral chapels, properties of local noble families (Montjou, Scorailles, Montal, etc.), which had erected altars and altars for private offices or burials. The polygonal choir, illuminated by ogival windows, led to a sacristy built between 1702 and 1704. Among the remarkable elements are a pulpit to be preached in 1780, murals of the 19th century (including those of the painter Morini), and paintings of the 17th and 18th centuries, such as the Adoration of the Magi (Flemish Anonymity) or the Deliverance of Saint Peter.

The history of the church is marked by successive destructions: razed by the English during the Hundred Years' War, looted by the Huguenots during the Wars of Religion (late 16th century), then sacked during the French Revolution. The retables and statues were then destroyed, with the exception of two retables. In the 19th century, parishioners completed its restoration, which was called "Queen of the Valley". Ranked a historic monument in 1927, it preserves traces of medieval polychromies, including the coat of arms of the families of L-Arbre d'Escalmels and Scorailles, local lords.

Architecturally, the church combines Romanesque and late Gothic styles. The bell tower, with two square floors and a high floor, is covered by a polygonal arrow, while the unique nave, finished with a five-sided choir, is covered with veined vaults. The lateral chapels, built between the foothills, date from the 15th century. The sacristy, added at the beginning of the eighteenth century, completes this ensemble, witness to the artistic and political developments of Carladès, a region historically linked to the Viscounts of Carlat.

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