11 juin 2007
Polignac, the church
The chorus is X and XIèmes centuries, the nave of XIIème century, except the last span, which was added to last century. Its dimensions: 30m length, 14m broad and 12m top (under vault) make of it a remarkable building for a small agglomeration.
The
church (except the last span inside) is built out of cut, ochre or
black stone, coming from volcanic castings of the Denise. This stone
lending itself badly to the fine sculpture, was replaced for the
majority of the capitals by the white stone of the careers of Blavozy.
The
building comprises a central nave, two side aisles and an incomplete
transept. The massive pillars, in the shape of cross, are decorated in
the angles, by beautiful posts in spindle, which also decorate the
circumference of the church.
In north, one can
observe remainders of loopholes and machicolation, the church belonged
to the second strengthened enclosure. To the south, the Gothic porch
was added between XIIIème and XIVème centuries. It is a kind of stone
platform, which shelters a Gothic door opening in the right side aisle.
The bell-tower, rebuilt recently found its primitive pace (represented
on the old prints).
The whole of the building (old of almost a
millenium, in its oldest parts), testifies to the quiet insurance of
the things which last…
Chorus: The four
pillars support a cupola with cut sides which passes from the square to
the octagone and the round-off. This form is frequent in Auvergne.
The
frescos of the apse are remarkable. Oldest (destroyed partly) is of
XIIème century, it represents the last judgement. It was modified in
XIVème century, in its medium, by a news, called “plank of the angels”.
Of course, Saint Michel is present, in his continuity with Apollon.
The primitive
furnace bridge was a simple stone table carried by columns. No gate
vault. Holy the éspèces was thus locked up in a wall cupboard dug in
the thickness of the wall on the right of the furnace bridge. It is
always and contains the statue of Holy Anne there carrying Marie who
carries itself the child. This statue dates from the XII ème century
and kept its polychromy. Anne, Anna, Diane, Innana, the goddess of the
origins always has her place in this crowned place, with the foot of
the rock of Polignac where its parèdre Apollon gives to the pythea the
capacities of oracle.
The surprise is
behind the church, frontage western: a beautiful head of isis cut in
the stone! Unless it is not Diane, who answers Apollon by the well of
oracle in the enclosure of the castle…
Go, some orbs just for the pleasure…
The castle of Polignac
Undoubtedly occupied since antiquity, this
site is the property of the Family of Polignac since XIème century. The
strategic site ordered the roads in the West and the North of the city
of Puy-in-Velay. During two centuries, the Viscounts of Polignac will
oppose to the bishops of Puy in a fight without mercy in connection
with tolls on the road of the pélerinages. 
The site is for a long time regarded as a crowned mountain. It is not
thus astonishing to find here, on the height, Apollon, answering Anna,
rules being in the church of the village downwards.
Two wells of the castle
The Viscounts of Polignac amménagé a cistern where drains ammenaient the water of ruisselement. This cistern goes up with the XII ème century. It is named “well of oracle”. A legend, whose Médicis is made the echo, reports that it was there that the Apollon god returned his oracles.
It was also told that there was formerly at the entry of the castle
an underground gallery which came to lead to this cistern. It is at the
entry of this gallery that those were received which wished to obtain
an answer of the god. One even adds that the mask known as of Apollo,
who is in the keep, covered curbstone of the well formerly.
One day came where the cistern proved to be insufficient and a well so deep was built that it is still named “the well of the abyss”. Entirely cut in the rock, it goes down up to the level the valley, 83 meters lower. It has a diameter of 6 meters. The withdrawn stones were used to build the keep…
For most sensitive, please pass the photograph of the interior of the well of the abyss, it emerges from the very pleasant things not hole…