30 July 2008

An unusual church in Chârost

Chârost is a very old village located about 15 miles west of Bourges in the Berry. It's more than an hour's drive from Saint-Aignan. CHM and I went there on our way back from Bourges in mid-June.

The church in Chârost near Bourges

The guide books say there is a château, or at least the ruins of one, in Chârost, but it is almost completely hidden behind walls and trees. We got just a glimpse of it. We stopped and looked around the church grounds. We even went inside the church — which meant going to get the key at the Mairie, the village hall, next door — but about half of it was closed off because it's being restored.

Chârost — no, it is not brick.

The town itself didn't look very prosperous, and it was nearly deserted at 5:00 p.m. on a weekday. It's not far from Bourges, but much closer to Issoudun. The Reuilly and Quincy (AOC Sauvignon Blanc) wine areas are to the north.

The side portal of the church and a close-up

This part of the old Berry province used to be a mining center. There's a lot of iron ore in the local rock. The church in Chârost is built of limestone that contains a good amount of that ore, and the church walls look as if they are rusting. I guess they are.

L'Eglise St-Michel in Chârost

The Eglise St-Michel is an abbey church in Romanesque style dating back to the 12th century. I want to go back one day to see the part of the church that was closed off to visitors.

4 comments:

  1. It's such an imposing church. Also historical. Probably the reasons for renovations. I'm just wondering if it has a congregation. So many Catholic churches are closing in Quebec, even sold for other purposes. I'm just curious if those beautiful centuries-old churches are deserted in France, except by tourists.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah! Ken...I have to tell you that your recipe, "Zucchini you can count on." (Aug.04-07) turned out perfect. Je vais servir ces barquettes de courgettes à tous mes amis. It's so easy to do with your step-by-step direction and photos. I felt you were right here encouraging me. Merci!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Claudia, a lot of village churches no longer have weekly services. Some priests are now "circuit-riders" — they travel from village to village, leading services once a month here and once a month there.

    Our friends who just returned to California tell me their village has a weekly service but often without a priest. It's the people in the congregation who get together every Sunday monring, on their own.

    Good for the courgettes! I hope they are delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is a post I missed and I'm so sorry I missed it. We actually skipped Charôst as my brother had been to school at Saint-Georges sur Arnon, and obviously there was no hospital in Charôst and my mother had to go to Issoudun. That church is really imposing. Next time I visit with Annik, --or you ;) -- I won't miss it!

    ReplyDelete

What's on your mind? Qu'avez-vous à me dire ?