Collégiale Saint-Yrieix de Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche

Collégiale Saint-Yrieix is a church built in different periods with Romanesque and Gothic elements standing side by side. The Romanesque bell tower with its porch contrasts with the five-sided Gothic choir, while tall windows flood the interior with light.

Construction started in 1181 on the site of an earlier Romanesque church to house the relics of Saint Yrieix. Building work stretched across decades, with Gothic features added later, giving the church its mixed appearance.

The name comes from Saint Yrieix, whose veneration shaped this place and drew pilgrims over centuries. The side chapels show how families created personal sacred spaces within the building, making it a gathering point for devotion.

The best way to notice all the details is to walk around the outside first and compare the different building styles visible from each angle. Inside, you can move at your own pace and observe the windows and chapels that shape the light and space throughout.

The walls and columns of the nave show clearly different heights and angles between the north and south sides, revealing that different builders worked without a single master plan over time. These irregularities are not hidden but shape how you experience moving through different building phases.

Location: Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche

GPS coordinates: 45.51520,1.20247

Latest update: December 9, 2025 20:26