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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de La Chaulme is a historical monument dating back to the 11th century for the nave, with major transformations in the 15th and 18th centuries. It was initially linked to a priory dependent on the abbey of the Chaise-Dieu, as evidenced by the adjacent buildings dating mainly from the 15th century. Its oriented plan includes a Romanesque nave, a transept and an 18th-century choir, while defensive elements such as a breech and a storey foothill suggest military adaptation in the Middle Ages.

The walls of the nave were raised in the 15th century, probably for defensive reasons, as indicated by the vestiges of the west façade. The transept, the choir and the bell tower, rebuilt in the eighteenth century, contrast with the medieval parts. The buildings of the Priory, adjacent to the southwest corner, retain typical 15th century openings, reflecting the architectural and functional evolution of the site.

Classified as a Historical Monument in 1982, the church illustrates stylistic superpositions between Romanesque, late Gothic and religious classicism. Its arched apse in cul-de-four and its fortified elements make it a rare testimony of the prioral churches of Auvergne, marked by their dual spiritual and defensive vocation.

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