Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule - Sainte-Croix

Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule is a nice little town, with a well known wine and an interesting church.

Sainte Croix is a huge church. Once this was the church of benedictian monastery (founded 6th century), of which architectoral traces still can be found around the church. 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, what is still very visible. During the 19th century the church got reconstructed. A neoclassical facade was added and the bell tower got a new spire. The gothic apses are interesting, but as they are under reconstruction, I could not take any good shots.

The most interesting is the vaulting - from wood.