Springtime Jaunts in the Auvergne

 

Springtime in the Auvergne area is amazing. The flowers sprout, the trees grow their baby leaves, and the mountains spread a sheen of green again, which the cows, horses, and sheep seem to appreciate. What else could Eluiza and I do but get in the car and enjoy the views. Here is an account of our travels.

Saint-Paulien

 

 

The most outstanding feature in St. Paulien is Saint Georges Church. The Romanesque stone building was constructed in the 12th century followed by many changes in the 16th. There are several polychrome paintings that mix black, pink, purple, gray or white colors. Here are some photos of the magnificent interior, which are as striking as the exterior.

 

 

 

 

 

St. Paulien has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and Celtic tribes settled here in the second century BC. The territories of this area were owned by the Polignac family from the time of the Carolingians kings (since 751) until the French Revolution (1789-99).

St. Paulien is much more extensive than the more obvious two main roads and church. After parking the car and walking into the interior of the town, we discovered not only a life so different from what we commonly see passing through this little town, but one that went back to the Romans as evidenced by this old wall.

    

Some interesting structures dot the streets on the interior of the city.

 

             

As with most French towns, there is a war memorial from World War I. This one features an obelisk and a marble etching of an angel leading a fallen soldier home to God. These memorials are all different, all respectful, and all touching. You really get a sense of loss incurred by the war as the names listed show several members of the same family had died in the war.

Resources

https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/saint-paulien-15451.htm

  

Chambon-sur-Lignon

We only went 50 minutes from Le Puy to take in the views of Chambon-sur-Lignon, one of the small towns on the Lignon River. We were still cautious about Covid and wore our masks, but many other people were already finished with the virus and went without their masks.

After a coffee at the above café, we walked around town and found these interesting buildings: a post office on the left and a pizzeria on the right.

I've seen photos of old French women looking out their windows and found a shot just above the café where we stopped for coffee. You can make up a story about who she is, what she sees, and what she is thinking about.

 

Déjeuner and a Ride in the Country 

We lost our regular caterer this year and had to find another. In fact, we found two caterers: one with the schools and the other with a restaurant, butcher shop and deli. We tried the restaurant, The Mirage, which is located at a small airport outside of Le Puy. It's a simple and not very decorative place. Workers come here for an inexpensive lunch of two main dishes plus appetizers, cheese, dessert, wine, and coffee. A perfect French meal! Over 100 people are usually served at noon. It has become one of our favorite places.

The tables are all set up ready for déjeuner with bread at each place. It is empty at 11:30 when we usually arrive but full by noon as men in hard hats and steel-toed boots wander in for their meal. On our first visit here we met a retired colonel from the French military. He had been all over the world during his tenure in service.

 

 

After déjeuner, we stopped by a little town called Sanssac just to see what was there. We found an operating church. On the side of it was a World War I memorial. As usual, many brothers from little towns like Sanssac were killed in the war deemed to end all wars. Losses of a good part of the upcoming generation were painful for families and for the economy. For all countries, 9-15 million men died in the war. In France alone, 1.7 million soldiers died (from military, disease, and malnutrition causes) and 4.3 million were wounded.

Arlet

Wandering around the French countryside reveals many little out-of-the-way places. On this day we found Artlet. While we were there someone was barbecuing some delicious-smelling meat while we looked at the sights. The two most striking places were this mini-château at the end of the street, and a little medieval church with several very old artifacts.

        

The church is remarkable for its placement in a remote area deep in the valley of the Cronce River, which is a tributary to the Allier River. Its isolation is a clue that it was probably a priory belonging to La Chaise-Dieu, a Benedictine abbey. 

 

The church was probably built in the 13th century. The doorway retains its original 14th century door jambs. The oculus (round opening over the door) is a modern addition, however, the triangular belfry at the top of the church is original and one of the few examples in existence. It was restored at the beginning of the 20th century and then rebuilt after a violent storm in 1912. The bells in the belfry were removed and hidden during the time of Napoleon for fear that they would be melted down and used for cannons.

                              

The church consists of a nave with three bays behind the altar. The vault is supported by three semi-circular arches, which was typical of Romanesque architecture. The ceiling has vaults supported by crossed ribs with a circular cross-section, much like St. Julian Basilica in Brioude (click here for Brioude blog post). 

     

This 12th or 13th century crucifix is one of the church's greatest treasures that had been hidden in a barn during the French Revolution. The face of Christ is Jewish with a short beard and long hair parted in the middle. His head is not crowned with thorns and his eyes are wide open. His expression is serene in order to de-emphasize the "torments" of the cross.

This monk is really a saint carrying a book. It is made from wood with a polychrome decoration and comes from the 17th century.

The triptych is painted wood that dates from the 16th century. Its center refers to Veronica wiping the face of Jesus with her veil as he carried the cross to Calvary. His image was miraculously imprinted on the veil. The left-hand panel features St. Peter and the right-hand panel shows the donor of the triptych with his confessor. This tryptych is known as an "ex-voto" or one made in memorial of someone. The statue of St. Peter, the first pope, is made from gilded and polychrome wood.

            

And finally, the cemetery.

 

It is still amazing to find these little towns. They are not suburbs of a city, but rather independent towns in rural areas with a mayor, a church, and various activities for the residents, and in the case of Arlet, nature hikes, camping, and canoeing for tourists. Many towns are on pilgrimage routes and so they provide a respite for hikers and pilgrims alike.