Abbaye Saint-Pierre Church, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne

In a medieval city that was once dominated by the great abbey of St Pierre, the church is now all that remains. An impressive structure sitting right in the centre of the town the abbey flourished largely because of its proximity to the Way of Saint James (Camino de Santiago).

Founded in the 9th-century by Rudolphe de Turenne, Archbishop of Bourges, he first installed the monks of Solignac near Limoges. As the abbey, and it's wealth, grew, it came under threat by neighbouring feudal lords. The bishops of Limoges defended it and in the 11th-century it was eventually absorbed by Cluny Abbey.

The church itself was built around 1095 and construction continued for almost half a century. Further additions were made in the 14th-century when a separate steeple was built.

As with many buildings of its kind, the abbey declined during the Hundred Years War, which devastated the region. Both the town and abbey fell to the Hugenots in October 1569, and it was not until 1663 that the abbey began to function again. It was dissolved with the French Revolution and destroyed, apart from the church that we see today.

One of the main features is the stone carving above the entrance door. Instead of the usual Last Judgement scene, this depicts the Second Coming, the triumphant return of Christ, and the Resurrection. A 2.1 metre Christ, his arms spread in the form of a cross, is flanked by the 12 Apostles, while angels above him carry the crown and nails. Meanwhile, other angels sound the trumpet to summon up the dead.