Saint-Hilaire-la-Croix

What is the parish church of the tiny village of Saint-Hilaire-la-Croix today, was the church of a priory, depending from Mozat around 1165.
In the beginning the priory was named "Saint-Hilaire-lac-rouge", but over the time, the old name got a little "deformed". There is not much known about the priory. In the early years it served the pilgrims on their way - and somehow it was important enough, to built (and finance) such an extraordenary church. Bernard Craplet ("Auvergne romane") dates the building phase from around 1100 to 1200. Later Augustinian Canons and Vincentians lived here. Not a sucess story for the next centuries the buildings were sold already in 1742.

The northern portal of Saint-Hilaire-la-Croix is very elaborate and combines different artistic styles.

Bernard Craplet tracks the craftmen, who created this, back to a travelling group of artists, that left their marks in Fleuriel and other places in the area. He states artistic influences here as well from Burgundy and the Ile de France.

Here a capital of the right side of the portal, depicting chimeras as well. Two birds with snakelike tails/necks and the heads of cats. They seem to "hug" each other with their long necks. From above two creatures (cats?) lick them with enormous long tongues.

On the right another pillar-eater with a very grotesque face. Exactly this kind of pillar-eaters can often be seen in the Saintonge area.