Ennezat - Collégiale Saint-Victor et Sainte-Couronne

Around 1060 a small monastery was founded here, funded by William IV, Duke of Aquitaine (aka Fièrebrace - The Iron Arm).

The building of the romanesque church started immediately and probably only took less than 10 years. This church is counted rightly to the crown jewels of the romanesque architecture in the Auvergne by Bernard Craplet ("Auverne romane").

What makes it so interesting is, that this is the oldest of the crown jewels, as this structure is about 50 years older than Notre-Dame-du-Port, Orcival and Issoire. But it nevertheless shows already all the specific touch, the romanesque style ahs in the Auvergne.

Actually Bernard Craplet places this small church like a stepping stone between the (lost) romanesque cathedral of Étienne II/Pope Stephen II in Clermont and Notre-Dame-du-Port. Though the romanesque church is really small and not complete, this is one of the most important structures in the Auvergne.

The Collégiale Saint-Victor et Sainte-Couronne (now parish church) consists out of three architectural parts. The romanesque church with a nave, two aisles and a transept, a later added narthex and a large gothic part. The building of the gothic church from around 1280 on, took about 200 years.

There are many carved capitals in the romanesque nave. Some nice ones are around the crosssing.

There are many carved capitals in the romanesque nave. Some nice ones are around the crosssing.

Two men placed into a kind of garden, presenting a giant bunch of grapes (it is not a fir cone!). The dresses of the two differ clearly. The left one wears a chain mail, indicating, that he is a soldier, while the right one only wears very plain clothes with a rope as a belt. He may be the peasant. Cooperation between soldiers and peasants result in a great harvest. Maybe. But maybe this garden and it´s population may be a mythical one, as there was a "fishy"-couple on the other capital, probably depicting the same garden.