La Charité-sur-Loire - Notre-Dame

Notre Dame was a Cluniac priory, with a huge church, which was erected between 1059-1107. It was consecrated when Pope Paschal II visited the priory. The church is important, as it was built parallel to Cluny III - and so has many similarities.

It once was 122 meters long and had a nave and four aisles. There were five portals (like in younger Bourges) and two western towers. One of these towers collapsed already in 1204. Mid of the 16th century the nave got severely damaged by fire

The priory existed up to the French Revolution. Some parts of the ruined church got converted to residential houses, the structure since then serves as a parish church. In 1840 there were plans, to demolish the building, but Prosper Mérimée stepped in - and so saved it.

For centuries, the abbey was an important stop on the Via Lemovicensis, which starts in Vézelay and crosses the Loire here. The Coquille St. Jaques is the sign of the pilgrims. From 2006 I walked this way in stages