Eglise de l'Assomption de la Vierge
Historic site and monument, Church
in Châtelus-le-Marcheix
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Near the church, two remarkable yew trees frame a Gallo-Roman altar dedicated to Mercury, turned over to make a Christian altar. On the outskirts of the town, close to the site of the feudal castle, the church must have been the latter's chapel before becoming a parish temple in place of another that had been destroyed. Originally, it was a rectangular, single-span edifice that may date back to the 13th century. In the 15th century, it was vaulted with four crossbeams resting on polygonal...
Near the church, two remarkable yew trees frame a Gallo-Roman altar dedicated to Mercury, turned over to make a Christian altar. On the outskirts of the town, close to the site of the feudal castle, the church must have been the latter's chapel before becoming a parish temple in place of another that had been destroyed. Originally, it was a rectangular, single-span edifice that may date back to the 13th century. In the 15th century, it was vaulted with four crossbeams resting on polygonal capitals supported by finely sculpted face-shaped caps. The lightness of this covering is remarkable. The church was subsequently extended in the 16th century, probably in two stages, with a south aisle running almost its entire length. At the same time, the present bell tower was built, with its eaves (a molded protrusion used to keep water away from the wall)
