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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Marc de Souvigny, built in the 12th century, is an emblematic religious building of Bourbonnais. This three-nave church, originally dedicated to parish worship, has medieval architectural features such as canned pilasters and carved capitals. Its history is marked by major transformations: in the 16th century, its masonry vault was replaced by a wooden cradle, and its apse was destroyed during the enlargement of a public road.

Over the centuries, Saint Mark's church has lost its initial religious function to serve as a barn or shop. Ranked as a historical monument in 1840, it also temporarily housed, in 1979, a lapidary museum including the layman of Marie de Hainaut, before its collections were transferred in 1992 to the municipal museum of Souvigny. Today, it remains a major architectural and historical testimony of the region.

The building is owned by the commune of Souvigny, in the Allier department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Its exact address, 1 Rue de la Cure, and its early ranking underline its heritage importance. Available sources, such as the reports of the Archaeological Congress of France, attest to his interest in studies on Romanesque architecture and local history.

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