Initial construction XIe–XIIe siècles (≈ 1250)
Romanesque building dedicated to Saint Sulpice.
XVe siècle
Adding the south door
Adding the south door XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Lineau in braid added south side.
18 juin 1935
Registration MH
Registration MH 18 juin 1935 (≈ 1935)
Classification to historical monuments.
1994
Sale of the nearby castle
Sale of the nearby castle 1994 (≈ 1994)
Château des Modières transferred to the commune.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Chapelle de Poliet : inscription by order of 18 June 1935
Key figures
Famille Michel des Modières - Historical owner
Owned chapel and castle until 1994.
Origin and history
The chapel of Poliet (or Polier), located in Villebret in the Allier department, is a religious building built in the 11th and 12th centuries, typical of Auvergne Romanesque architecture. It was dedicated to Saint Sulpice and depended on Menat Abbey, highlighting its role in the medieval monastic network. Its plan includes a nave of two spans, a choir of two spans and a flat bedside, while a frame replaced the original cradle vaults. The facade, surmounted by a bell tower-wall with two bays, retains a remarkable Romanesque portal to the west, adorned with foliage capitals and stylized ironwork (snakeheads, plant motifs, human figure).
In the 15th century, a door to the braided lintel was added south side, partially changing the original access. The vantals of the Romanesque portal have preserved their medieval pentures, rare testimonies of the carpentry and ironwork of the period. The chapel, listed as a historical monument in 1935, was historically owned by the Michel des Modières family, who owned the nearby castle until 1994, when it was sold to the commune. Its location, 1.7 km southwest of Château des Modières, suggests a link to this seigneurial estate.
The building illustrates the architectural evolution of rural churches in Auvergne, mixing Romanesque elements (portal, bell tower-wall) and late Gothic additions (south gate). The carved decorations of the portal, combining plant motifs and animal symbols, reflect local Romanesque art, while the dedication to Saint Sulpice refers to medieval regional cults. The chapel, though modest, offers a preserved example of the rural religious heritage, marked by its monastic and seigneurial history.
Today, the chapel of Poliet remains a testimony of the 11th–12th centuries in Bourbonnais, an area integrated with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments highlights its heritage value, both for its architecture and for its furniture elements (ferronries, hangers). The site, located along the Polier road, retains an approximate location (precision: 6/10 according to Monumentum), without recent information on its accessibility to the public.
