Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule - Sainte Croix

Legends tell, that in the 6th century a hermit named Porcianus, later known as Saint Pourcain founded a monastery on the height of land overlooking the river. The monastery was restored between 871 and 875 by monks of the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Philibert, (today in Loire-Atlantique), who had fled the Noirmoutier Abbey traying to bring St. Philiberts relics into safety from the the Norman raids.

They stayed for a couple of years and settled finally in Tournus. The monastery of Saint-Pourçain became a priory dependent on the abbey of Saint-Philibert de Tournus.

During the French Revolution, the monastery was closed and its church "Sainte Croix" became a parish church.

So this was the church of monastery. The first construction phase started within the 11th century, so romanesque walls can be seen in the nave - in the first bays. Further east the structure is gothic (13th), incl. the radial chappels of the choir. The church got looted and heavily damaged during/after the French Revolution, which is still very visible. During the 19th century the church got reconstructed.

The vandals of the revolutions really took pains here and completely destroyed the medieval tympanum.