Église Saint-Nicolas

Laschamps retains a 12th century Romanesque-style church, Église Saint-Nicolas, close to the remains of a public space.

Prior to the French Revolution, the parish of Laschamps was under the control of the Abbaye de Beaumont, whose abbess appointed the priest. After the Revolution, when the parishes were being rearranged by the Concordat, the Prefect wanted to eliminate the Laschamps chapel of ease in 1806 but the Bishop had it maintained as an independent parish of Saint-Genès-Champanelle.

Built from arkose in Romanesque style, Église Saint-Nicolas dates from the 12th century. With a Latin cross floor plan, it features a single smooth barrel-vaulted nave. The entire transept is also barrel-vaulted, including on its crossing, which makes a very original combination. The choir apse features a decor with five arches with columns and capital with leaf designs. On the western façade, the rose window dates back to the 19th century. Today the church serves as a departure point for the walk to Notre-Name d’Orcival, an important pilgrimage site.

The remains of a public space can be seen downhill from the church: an area in the village centre with a bakehouse, wash house, drinking fountain, well and blacksmith’s shop. Today only the bakehouse, the wash house and the drinking fountain remain.

Opposite the church, a monument with an unusual form, which gave its name to the “place du Bonnet”, was built to commemorate the great fire of 17 September 1865, which ravaged multiple residences, killing 4 people and injuring 3.