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Origin and history

Saint Vozy Church, located in Vals-près-le-Puy in Haute-Loire, is the former chapel of the Augustine nuns convent, founded around 1313 with the help of the Augustine nuns of Saint-Benoît de Val. This convent, linked to the history of the Saint-Benoît madrerie and the passage of pilgrims on the Route du Midi, was invaded by the Bourguignons in 1419. After major repairs in 1601, it underwent successive extensions in the 17th and 18th centuries, notably in 1650, 1700 and 1781, with a last construction linking the church to the convent.

From the old convent, there remain today only remarkable elements such as the classical exterior door, a staircase with baluster torsos (partly dating from 1615), and an inner door with pilasters coffered. The church, transformed after the Revolution, originally retained a upper floor furnished in cells for the nuns, with a choir located on the floor of the gallery. The bell tower, which was crushed in the 18th century, was replaced, while the nave and choir, decorated with an 18th-century altarpiece, illustrated the religious architecture of the period.

Sold as a national property in 1794, the site was occupied by the Jesuits from 1828, which added buildings and a chapel decorated with woodwork around 1870. The church, classified as a historical monument in 1968, remains a testimony to the architectural and religious evolutions of the region, from its medieval role with pilgrims to its modern transformations. Its altarpiece, surrounded by windows decorated with angel heads, and its arch vaults make it an example of the 17th century Conventual heritage.

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