Menat Abbey

Menat Abbey is one the the most famous in the Auvergne. Built in the 5th century it has been revamped thoughout the ages. The church contains beautiful carved capitals. A small detour through the cloisters allows you to appreciate the ancient living environment of the monks.
The buildings bear the traces of different construction periods: Romanesque (lower parts of the church), 14th-15th centuries (upper parts and fortifications of the church, west gallery of the cloister and abbey castle). They were deeply reworked in the 19th century. The ground level of the old buildings is marked by paving stones. The church contains very beautiful sculpted capitals, including lions. A small detour through the cloister allows you to appreciate the monks' living environment.

A heritage guide is available for €3 in our four tourist information offices: Saint-Gervais-d’Auvergne, Châteauneuf-les-Bains, Pontgibaud and Les Ancizes-Comps, as well as on our online shop. It accompanies the discovery of Saint-Ménélée Abbey and the Romanesque bridge, a medieval humpback bridge spanning the Sioule.