Historic site and monument
in La Chapelle-Geneste

Eglise Notre-Dame de l'Assomption

Former priory dependent on the abbey of La Chaise-Dieu whose Romanesque choir is "bottom of the oven". Inside, discover the black Madonna (Notre-Dame de l'Assomption) and the sculpture of Saint-Roch. Outside, observe the sculpted stone corbels.
Legend has it that a statue of the Virgin was found at a place called “La Geneste” where the current church and village are located. It is not known whether a chapel was built following this discovery, but the primitive church can be traced back to the 1279th century. It was under the patronage of Notre-Dame. A priory was established there by the abbey of La Chaise-Dieu, mentioned in 1789 and united to the chamberlain until 1373; the prior had the patronage of the church (XNUMX).
The church is in Romanesque style, from the second period and may date back to the 1902th century. The primitive church has undergone numerous alterations, including the recent repair of the vault; the old hexagonal spire of the bell tower was replaced in 1903-XNUMX by the current roof.
The church consists of a bell tower, a nave with two bays, a straight choir bay and an apse.
We guess the location of the primitive nave thanks to the remains, near the bell tower, of a cornice supported by three corbels.
The bell tower, in gray granite, is square in section, with a slender four-sided slate spire; You enter through this bell tower, preceded by seven wide steps.
The nave is vaulted with warheads.
The choir, the oldest part of the monument, is semi-dome and has five windows.
The high altar, in multicolored marble, was set up around 1835.
Three Gothic chapels, posterior to the primitive building frame the nave.
To the south, the Notre-Dame chapel could date from the 16th century. Its interest lies in the altarpiece from the 17th or early 18th century, in carved whitened and gilded wood; several of the ornamental motifs, roses, bindweed or branches of rose bushes are in plaster.
In a niche, sits the statue of the Black Virgin, in gilded and polychrome wood, represented seated, holding the child Jesus on her knees, above the terrestrial globe supported by the four evangelists symbolized by the angel (the Man ), the lion (St Matthew), the ox (St Luke) and the eagle (St John). Around and above the virgin's head, winged angels support the royal crown, symbol of Mary's universal royalty. It represents the type of these Virgins who were blackened at a late period, undoubtedly by analogy with that of Puy. Executed in the purest Romanesque tradition, it can be dated to the 15th–16th century(?).
To the north are the chapels of Sacré-Cœur and Saint-Roch; the latter faces that of Notre-Dame; Romanesque, it presents a gilded wooden statue of the saint, patron of plague victims and secondary patron of the parish, staff in hand, head covered with a wide-brimmed hat on the white marble altar
In the sacristy we see a reliquary in gilded wood in the shape of an arm, containing fragments of bones from St-Blaise and Ste-Elidie.

Patronal feast celebrated on August 15, Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Pilgrimage of Saint Roch, secondary patron of the church, on August 16. The Casadéens go every year on this date to La Chapelle Geneste to thank the saint for having preserved them from the plague.
Tips and Suggestions

To discover on the PR 617 and PR 109, circuits labeled Respirando

We speak French

Themes:

  • Religious Heritage
  • Church

Visit

Individual visit services

  • Unguided individual tours permanently

Group visit services

  • Unguided group tours permanently

Opening

Opening hours from January 01 to December 31, 2024
MondayOpen
TuesdayOpen
WednesdayOpen
ThursdayOpen
FridayOpen
SaturdayOpen
SundayOpen

Admission fees

Free

Services

Equipments

  • Picnic area.
  • Parking nearby

Linked offers

On the spot…

Address

Le Bourg
43160 La Chapelle-Geneste
How do I get there?

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