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 as well from Burgundy and the Ile de France.

Placed between loops of tendrills and floral ornaments are six sculptures in the outer archivolt. Another evidence of artistic influence from the Saintonge area (200 kms west). The six persons of the archivolt are well clothed, barfoot and have no nimbus. The person seen here, wears a maniple on his arm, so this depicts probably a priest.