Basilique Notre-Dame d'Orcival

Our Lady of Orcival is a jewel of Romanesque Auvergne with Notre-Dame du Port at Clermont-Ferrand, St. Austell in Issoire, the church of St. Nectarios, Saint-Saturnin.

This Romanesque church, elevated to a basilica in 1894 by Pope Leo XIII, was built by the monks of La Chaise-Dieu in the early twelfth century, probably financed by William VII, Count of Auvergne. It was completed in 1166. We think it was probably built in a single campaign, given the uniformity of its architecture.
The architectural and decorative features of the basilica Orcival are comparable to those of other major churches of Lower Auvergne. With its elegantly proportioned head, clearly hierarchical crypt archaic, inspired by the underground cathedral of Clermont and its nave capitals richly decorated Basilica of Orcival, however, is one of the few churches of Auvergne to have retained its original bell tower.

The rugged terrain of the site dictated to men who built the particular proportion of the building: the side of the valley had to be opened to allow to build the west front ...