Le Dorat - Collégiale Saint-Pierre

The collegiate church Saint-Pierre (aka "St-Pierre-aux-Liens") dates back to the 12th century, though many alterations and the fortification seen here, were done later.

A church and convent that existed here, got looted and burnt down by the Normans in 866. It was named "Scotorum", so it may be have been founded by Scottish/Irish monks.
Around 980 a collegiate was founded here, dedicated to Saint Peter. Under the first monks were Israël and his disciple Theobald, who later became the patron saints of Le Dorat. The church of the collegiate was set on fire by local villagers during a regional war in 1013 and burnt down. The newly built church got consecrated in 1063 - and burnt down in 1080.
Soon after this a crypt was built, but the erection of the church above the crypt did not start before 1112. When in 1130, the choir and the radial chapels were completed, the relics of Saint Israël and Saint Theobald were "translated" into the church, what attracted obviously lots of pilgrims following the Via Lemovicensis to a little detour.

In the following centuries Le Dorat was threatened by and involved into many wars and feuds and so town and church got heavily fortified. That did not help, when in 1567 a Huguenot-armee of 15.000 troops conquered the place, killed about 400 inhabitants and looted town and convent.
All buildings of the collegiate got lost after the French Revolution, only the really large church (74,70 m long) survived the times and now serves as a parish church.

The large crypt is the oldest part of Saint-Pierre. The dimensions are similar to that one of the choir above and like the choir, there is even an ambulatory with three ambulatory chapels. A round chapel is center of the crypt.