Eglise St Viance

The church of St Viance has stood on the banks of the Vézère since Roman times. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1972.
Its buttresses, columns, capitals, modillions? all bear witness to Romanesque art, whose exceptional character has been recognized by the French Monuments Historiques.
We can admire in particular the reliquary shrine of the church’s patron saint, the hermit Saint Viance, as well as the very beautiful champlevé enamel holy oil box. Made in the mid-12th century, this is the largest enamelled shrine preserved in the Limousin region, and one of the most interesting for its iconography. Decorative enamel elements of various shapes, with ornamental, architectural or historiated motifs, are applied to a facing of thin sheets of embossed and gilded copper, covering the wooden core.

Practical info

• Monument classification: Registered monuments and sites
• Type of monument: Church
• Visit conditions: Unaccompanied tours. Guided tours