Sunday 8 May 2016

Church on Sunday...the Romanesque church of Saint-Nicolas in Moncontour in the Vienne






Today we visit the Romanesque church of Saint-Nicolas in Moncontour in the Vienne. The church dates back to the 12th century. It was annexed by the nearby Abbey of Saint Jouin de Marnes (four km to the west). 


The western façade still has the original 12th century portal



The arched nave which probably originally featured frescos was given a makeover during the 19th century. It is pierced with twelve semicircular windows.


The choir ends with a semicircular apse.



The two side chapels.


The church was rebuilt in the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries resulting in the loss of its transept.


Its Romanesque features are best appreciated on the north side of the church where you can see the remnants of some. corbels.


Where's Joan? Although not always featured within churches in the Vienne she stands proudly in one of the side chapels.



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