The Benedictine St Laurent Collegiate Church
The Benedictine St Laurent Collegiate Church of Auzon is a superb example of Auvergne Romanesque architecture.
It is perched on a rocky spur in the centre of Auzon, a picturesque fortified town whose origins date back to pre-Celtic times.
Auzon was awarded the prestigious “Small Town of Character” label for its rich cultural and architectural heritage.
The town is indeed world-renowned for the Coffret d’Auzon – Franks Casket – Auzon Runic Casket, a whalebone reliquary that is said to have belonged to the St Laurent Collegiate Church.
This reliquary, crafted in Northumbria around 700 AD, is of considerable historical and cultural importance and is on display at the British Museum in London, with a panel held at the Bargello National Museum in Florence.
This precious artefact was stolen, or most likely hidden, during the turmoil of the French Revolution.
It changed hands several times until the 19th century, when Augustus Wollaston Franks, curator of the Department of Antiquities at the British Museum, acquired it.
St Laurent Collegiate Church foundation
The origins of the chapter and the founding of Saint-Laurent d’Auzon remain shrouded in mystery. The only lead we have is the existence of a Latin inscription discovered on one of the church walls, which suggests that a monastic community existed in Auzon in the Middle Ages, a period that saw monastic communities play a crucial role in the dissemination of knowledge, the promotion of spirituality, and the flourishing of community life.
We must go back to December 20, 1091, when Bernard d’Auzon died to find the first trace of the church. Bernard bequeathed all his lands to the Abbey of La Chaise-Dieu, however, this generous gift sparked a major conflict between the local lords and the diocese, thus delaying the monastery’s founding.
Saint-Laurent d’Auzon became a collegiate church at the beginning of the 13th century, with the founding of the Benedictine monastery. Historical accounts indicate that this monastery quickly acquired great renown as a cultural and intellectual centre and was under the jurisdiction of the chapter of Saint-Julien de Brioude. This connection could explain the architectural similarities observed between the two churches.
St. Laurent Collegiate Church, a gem of Auvergne Romanesque architecture
St. Laurent Collegiate Church has survived the centuries while retaining most of its remarkable original architectural features and is particularly renowned for its exceptional acoustics.
Built on a simple plan, it comprises a single nave with four bays, a vaulted chancel, a polygonal apse, and two Gothic chapels adorned with murals.
The south porch boasts finely sculpted capitals featuring animal heads, inscriptions, and scenes depicting the Annunciation and the Nativity. It was also constructed using an architectural technique called ganivelle, characterised by an assembly of wooden slats, similar to that of the porch of the Church of Saint-Julien in Brioude.
The main entrance doors have retained much of their leather covering and are adorned with beautiful ironwork. The bell tower is also renowned for its elegant twin bays and houses a bell cast in 1569.
St. Laurent Collegiate Church also boasts a remarkable collection of furnishings, including statues dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, a pre-Romanesque reliquary, a 12th-century wooden reliquary of Christ, a granite altar table, and an antique organ.
Department of Haute-Loire – Auzon
Coordinates St Laurent Collegiate Church: Lat 45.392202 – Long 3.373196
Credits photos: Papou Poustache – Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Header by Achillea CC BY-SA 4.0
