Foundation of the Priory vers 1078 (≈ 1078)
By Alexandre d'Aubusson for the Chair-God
fin XIe - début XIIe siècle
Construction of church
Construction of church fin XIe - début XIIe siècle (≈ 1225)
In volcanic tuff, primitive nave
début XIVe siècle
Feudal and religious paintings
Feudal and religious paintings début XIVe siècle (≈ 1404)
Fresques attributed to Pierre de Montaigut
après 1527
Painting of the funerary liter
Painting of the funerary liter après 1527 (≈ 1527)
Alleged Tourzel Blazons added
12 septembre 1931
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 12 septembre 1931 (≈ 1931)
Total protection of the church
15 janvier 1932
Priory registration
Priory registration 15 janvier 1932 (≈ 1932)
Protection of buildings
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Church (with the exception of sacristy): by order of 12 September 1931
Key figures
Alexandre d'Aubusson - Founder of the Priory
Attached to the Chair-God around 1078
Pierre de Montaigut - Lord of Aurouze
Associated with 14th century frescoes
Famille Tourzel d'Allègre - Auvergnate noble lineage
Blazons painted on the funeral liter
Origin and history
The church of Saint-Pierre de Mazerat-Aurouze, built between the end of the 11th and the beginning of the 12th century, initially depended on a priory founded around 1078 by Alexandre d'Aubusson, attached to the Abbey of the Chair-God. Its modest architecture, in volcanic tuff, is distinguished by a circular bedside vaulted in cul-de-four, reinforced with foothills and pierced with niches decorated with 14th century frescoes. These paintings, recently rediscovered, represent feudal and religious scenes, including a knight terrorizing a monster (interpreted as Saint George) and heraldic weapons attributed to the Tourzel families of Allègre and Montaigut.
The early nave, probably covered by an apparent structure, was divided in the Middle Ages by pillars supporting plaster vaults. The campanile, worn by the triumphal arch, and narrow windows suggest a nave anterior to the choir. A painted funerary liter, dating back to 1527, girded the interior walls: its coats of arms (a silver tower accosted with lily flowers) evoke the influence of the Tourzel d'Allègre family on this territory. These artistic elements, combined with Romanesque structures, illustrate the evolution of the site between the 11th and 16th centuries.
Ranked a historic monument in 1931 for its church (except for the sacristy) and inscribed in 1932 for its priory, the building preserves tangible traces of its religious and seigneurial past. The frescoes of the apsidiole, attributed to Pierre de Montaigut (Lord of Aurouze in the 14th century), and the subsequent architectural changes (voûts, division of the nave) testify to the successive adaptations of the place. The local material, the low-quality volcanic tuff, and the re-use of crowlets during the overhauls also reveal the technical and economic constraints of the time.
The site, a communal property, is distinguished by its atypical plan and its painted decoration, where Christian symbols (saint Georges) and feudal emblems mix. These features make it a rare example of late Romanesque art enriched by later medieval strata, reflecting the links between ecclesiastical power (prieuré de la Chaise-Dieu) and local aristocracy (family of Montaigut).
