Modified on February 21, 2025
Reading time: 4 minutes
✨ Lavaudieu, a preserved gem 10 km from Brioude!
A glimpse into History
10 km from Brioude, the small village of Lavaudieu, which was called Comps until the end of the XNUMXth century, offers a preserved and unique setting to visitors.
Built on the banks of the Sénouire, it developed around an ancient Benedictine abbey. Robert of Turland, the founder of La Chaise-Dieu, chose this valley in 1057, combining a mild climate and proximity to the mother abbey, to establish a priory of nuns.
Numerous donations, particularly in land, made the priory of Saint-André de Comps rich and enabled the construction of monastic buildings such as the priory church and the cloister. In the 1718th century, the nuns became Dame Canonesses and abandoned communal life in favor of individual houses built around the convent buildings. In XNUMX, the priory officially became an abbey and luxurious apartments were fitted out for the abbess.
The buildings, sold as national property during the Revolution, underwent transformations over time, and some even disappeared.
the unavoidable
The 12th century cloister is one of the rare Romanesque cloisters in Auvergne to have survived. Of modest dimensions, it stands out for the great variety of its columns: simple, twin, with smooth or twisted shafts; but also for the diversity of its capitals on which we find themes widespread in Brivadois such as the bifid mermaid, eagles or lions. The upper wooden gallery certainly once housed the nuns' cells.
The former refectory, which once served as a hay barn, houses an incredibly well-preserved monumental fresco from the end of the 12th century. Of Byzantine and Coptic influence, it depicts a tetramorphic Christ in majesty and, more remarkably, a crowned Virgin in majesty accompanied by the apostles.
The Saint-André church, once shared by the nuns and parishioners, is very representative of the region's Romanesque architecture. It has a beautiful collection of paintings from the 12th to the 18th century, including the Black Death, a superb allegory of the plague. Another of its particularities is its bell tower, truncated since the Revolution and topped with a weather vane in the shape of a Phrygian cap.
The village, with its cobbled streets and winegrowers' houses with hanging balconies, has been spared from contemporary urbanization, which has earned it the label of one of the " most beautiful villages in France since 1990.
Lavaudieu virtual tour
Download the app for free “Lavaudieu Virtual Tour” and dive into a fun reconstruction of the iconic buildings! 🏰✨
Play while exploring, solve puzzles and learn fascinating anecdotes about our heritage. Whether you are a history buff or simply curious, this immersive experience is for you!
Practical information for visits
In addition, the cloister and the old refectory can be visited from May to September, every day except Tuesday. Do not hesitate to contact the Friends of Lavaudieu ; From May a reception desk stands in the center of the village
The former abbess's lodgings, with its French ceilings and inlaid parquet floors, can be visited by appointment with its owners.
Information all year round from the Brioude Sud Auvergne Tourist Office by phone at 04 71 74 97 49
by email info@ot-brioude.fr