Abbey Church of Saint Austremoine

This masterpiece of the Romanesque art in Auvergne was constructed in the 12th century by Benedictine monks from Charroux in the Poitou area. It has been listed Historical Monument in 1840. This church has been devoted to Saint-Austremoine, one the 7 evangelists send by the Pope to evangelize the Gaul. According to Grégoire de Tours, Saint-Austremoine would be at the origin of the foundation of the abbey of Issoire. In the 16th century, Issoire is particularly affected by the Religion Wars. In 1575, the abbey has been vandalized by the captain Huguenot Merle, and the archives have been destroyed. The cloistered life of the city of Issoire ended under the French Revolution, further to the suppression of religious orders. This church forms the group of the 5 major Romanesque churches of the Puy de Dome with Notre-Dame du Port (in Clermont-Ferrand), Saint-Nectaire, Saint-Saturnin and Notre-Dame d’Orcival.