from Comité Régional du Tourisme de Nouvelle-Aquitaine

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The enamelled chest of Bellac

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This chest is the oldest testimony of craftsmanship of the Limousin goldsmith enamellers. It is a C12th copper-gilded enamelled chest. Its sarcophagus shape is adorned with semi-precious stones and with fourteen medallions of inlaid enamel representing Jesus Christ and the four evangelists, the Holy Virgin and the lamb. Although it is empty today, this chest used to contain relics. The church is dedicated to the Holy Virgin Assumption, and is the result of successive alterations from Romanesque to Gothic period. Not to be missed: the C12th Romanesque nave, former chapel of les Comtes de la Marche, and the chapel of the Cardinal with its Gothic window and a remarkable sculpture.