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Eglise St Pierre de Collonges-la-Rouge
Office de Tourisme du Pays de Collonges-la-Rouge  
Avenue de l'Auvitrie  
19500 Collonges-la-Rouge (Corrèze)
Tél 05 55 25 32 25

This beautiful church has evolved down the centuries with a special history.
It was originally constructed on a base of four columns dating from the 11th century. A century later the curving Romanesque (Norman) belltower was built over the cupola as we know it today with the tympanum of carved Turenne limestone.
In the 13th century the nave which can be found at the apse of the church, was pierced by a gothic arched window.
In the 14th and 15th centuries the side chapels were constructed on the north and south sides, but the Hundred Years War upset the harmony of the design because it was necessary to fortify the building. To protect themselves from the English amies the people built a squaretower of the south to serve as a watchtower. Finally a tower was built on the north side to house the bells which sounded the tocsin. Tocsin which was retained at the time of the murderous Wars of Religion and which obliged the population of Collonges to divide the church in order to celebrate both religions.
Fear of the Huguenots led them to remove the tympanum from its original position to the top of the church wall, but it was restored to its original position in 1923 and the final restoration took place in 1985. It appears to have been created in the 12th century by a Languedoc workshop and represents either the ascension or the return of the Christ.

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