Bussière-Badil - Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité

A priory had existed here already from 768 on. The Benedictine abbey was founded 1088, the church of today was built in the 12th century replacing a previous, smaller church, erected probably in the 10th century.

The abbey belonged to the Sacra di San Michele Abbey in Piedmont (more than 700 kms east). The church was strongly fortified and had battlements, watchtowers and even moats at that time.

The facade got heavily vandalized during the French Revolution, when the rioting revolutionists used hammers to destroy sculptures and carvings.

Obviously the vandals could not enter the interior. All the capitals along the nave are undamaged. Here is a long haired, bearded merman and - to the right- his wife.