The church Notre-Dame of Domérat

The Notre Dame church is built on old parts of XIIème century, preserved at the time of its restoration between 1860 and 1865.
It is especially famous for its crypt of XIème century in which one can find a statue of Notre Dame of Râche.

The capitals are very picturesque, and one finds the acrobats here, therefore future initiates, the interlacings forming caduceus, the éclatoirs on the porch of entry showing that energy is quite present.

The Crypt

This crypt, largest and one of oldest of Bourbonnais, extend under all the chorus, with the site of a necropolis mérovingienne. True small church, it includes/understands three naves of five spans, arched edges.
These vaults fall down, in the central vessel, on columns with capitals simply épannelés, formerly painted, and with ringed base.

The crypt was built around 1090. The evolution of Domérat is related to this church, built thanks to the presence of the monks who planted vine on the soil.
Leprosy made its appearance in 1195, and the inhabitants of the country turned to that which could have helped them, Notre-Dame.

A statue was dedicated to him, which will be called Notre-Dame of Râche, since in the patois of the country, the leprosery was baptized the “Râcherie”. One then built small vaults around this enclosure, with the field of the chapelettes.
When with time the disease disappeared, the statue was led in the current crypt. Gradually the devotion will naitra which will relate to the diseases resembling leprosy.

Lhas virgin out of wood will be, at the end of XVIème century, replaced by a stone statue, the virgin with the bird, counterpart seems it the original one. Mutilated with the revolution, it was restored in 1971.

The ritual proceeds according to an ancient tradition, with this marked sentence: “you strip old man to cover to you of the new man.”

In the crypt, certain points make it possible to receive the amplified sound. These points are located on a crossing of the Hartmann network. The sound sends vibrations which are felt until in the chorus located at the top.

The church 

The church in it even is simple. The entry of the crypt is done by the left side of the chorus, and I think that the exit on the right side of summer walled. Some old paintings, some statues and huntings give to the unit a serene atmosphere.