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Origin and history

The former church of Notre-Dame and Saint-Blaise, located at Breuil in Allier, finds its origins in the 12th century as the seigneurial chapel of the local castle. The building, composed of a central nave flanked by two collaterals, three spans, an apse and two apsidioles, features typical masonries and columns from the mid-12th century. Central absidiole capitals suggest an initial vaulted nave project. The later reconstructed west façade has alternate white and red stone seats, while the bells, without bell tower, were suspended in arcades above the gable.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the church was partially changed: a 14th century tomb, belonging to a lady of Breuil, was exhumed and ascended in a side chapel. The building, a communal property since its classification as Historic Monument in 1927, illustrates regional Romanesque architecture. Its gradual destruction (partial collapse in 1998, desecration in 2011) led to its demolition in 2013, after the transfer of its movable elements (glass windows, bells) to the church of Sainte-Anne, which became parishioner.

When it was demolished, a foundation stone dating back to 1911 was discovered at the crossing of the transept. It contained a glass bottle containing a Latin report, written by parish priest Barthélemy Jonnier at a religious ceremony on 21 May 1911. This document attests to the partial reconstruction of the church at the beginning of the twentieth century, although its medieval origins remain the heart of its history.

The early church, without a traditional bell tower, was distinguished by its Latin cross plan and its portal surmounted by a pillar porch. The glass windows, some twenty, were saved before the demolition: two of them, restored, now adorn the church of Sainte-Anne. This monument thus embodies both the auvergnat Romanesque heritage and the religious transformations of the twentieth century.

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