Saint-Pierre Church

Église Saint-Pierre is a 19th century church in neo-Gothic style, built to replace an older church.

In the 19th century, when the Église Saint-Pierre was entirely rebuilt, excavations performed in 1851 revealed the presence of a former Roman church dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries, in place of the current building. The village fort, a highly individualised area, was then structured around this former church and occupied the peak of a hillock that was more pronounced at the time. Constructions built close to one another ensured collective safety inside the fort, which included 23 houses, the church and its cemetery, a common house (municipal services) and a fortified house that no longer exists. A Rue du Fort still exists.

In 1849, Aymon Mallay (1805-1883), a departmental architect in Puy-de-Dôme and architect for the diocese, was commissioned for the reconstruction of the church. He had previously worked on several religious buildings in the Auvergne region, including église Saint-Léger de Royat. The present-day church is built from Volvic stone. It is in neo-Gothic style, inspired by medieval forms such as pointed arches, which can be seen above the openings, and rose windows, above the western gate. The church retains a number of statues which are on the additional inventory of historic monuments. As for the bell tower, it has two bells, one cast in 1822 (62 cm in diameter), the other in 1823 (72 cm diameter).