Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Saint Quentin Church of Saint Quentin-la-Chabanne, classified as a historical monument in 1914, dates mainly from the 13th century, although some sources evoke 14th century elements. It is distinguished by its four-span nave, ending with an atypical polygonal apse in the shape of a half hexagon. A crypt, contemporary of the nave, extends under the choir and adjacent span, vaulted in a broken cradle and cul-de-four. It houses a statue of Notre-Dame-sous-Terre, a 17th-century black Virgin, an object of popular devotion for the protection of children, surrounded by ex-voto.

The independent bell tower, located five metres from the west facade, is a unique architectural feature in Creuse. It replaces an old tower in frame, accessible by a vis staircase still visible. The arches of ivy warheads, partially rebuilt in 1869, fell on columns with polygonal capitals. The west gate, in a broken line, is decorated with carved human masks and vantals of 1814 decorated with religious trophies. Two broken credences, decorated with a torus, pierced the walls of the choir, while medallions painted around 1880 commemorated parish priests since 1465.

The outer arrangement of the apse, with its cut strips forming a "sword", is crowned by a circular tablet worn by hooks. To the west, the remains of the ground floor of an earlier bell tower, derailed six metres away, form an open porch. The current bells are housed in a masonry campanile placed on this disassembly. The lighting, initially limited to two polylobed bays of the apse and a window above the gate, was completed in 1869 by a large north bay. The crypt, accessible by a staircase from the nave, keeps ex-votos (clothes, ribbons) suspended as an offering.

Abbé Pataux, parish priest from 1862 to 1889 and local historian, was at the origin of the memorial medallions of the parish priests and of a painting of the parish priests. His work documents the religious history of the place, since Guillaume Feydeau (1465). The building, owned by the municipality, illustrates the medieval architectural evolution and the importance of Marian cults in Limousin. Its classification in 1914 underscores its heritage value, combining late Romanesque and Gothic elements, as well as subsequent improvements such as the repairs of 1869.

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