Lavaudieu : Former Saint-André-de-Lavaudieu Abbey

The priory, which follows the rule of Saint Benoît, was established in 1067. We can still admire the cloister and the abbey church in Romanesque style. Only the refectory of the old abbey has been preserved. The abbey buildings were probably built in the 17th century and redeveloped internally in the 18th century, with the addition of chimneys and joinery. The old abbess housing reflects the decorative style of the 18th century, with its salons and rooms with marked parquet floors, French ceilings, and period furniture. The refectory is embellished by a fresco dated from the end of the 12th century, byzantine style with Syrian influences. Romanesque frescoes, covered between the 16th and 19th century, also embellished the triumphal arch (crucifixion; Dormition of the Virgin; Saint-André; Small characters), the north nave (evangelist; passion; flogging; Portement de Croix; Crucifixion; Grave; Disting of the Cross) and South (Annunciation; unidentified; The entire north wall has a Gothic style and bears the date of 1315 on a cartridge. There is an Italian influence in the allegory of death. Besides the grave, there is a representation of the legend of Sainte-Ursule and the eleven thousand virgins, killed by the Huns, which was repainted in the 16th century at the site of a scene of 1315 damaged by humidity. The property of the Abbey, before belonging to the State (Ministry of Culture), was transferred to the municipality via an agreement signed on June 28, 2007.