Church of Saint-Jacques le Majeur, Church in Clermont-Ferrand, France
The Église Saint-Jacques le Majeur is a church in the Auvergne Romanesque style in Clermont-Ferrand, built from dressed stone with a nave, two side aisles, and five bays carried by square pillars. A square bell tower rises over the crossing, and the seven-sided apse is flanked by two smaller semicircular apses on each side.
The church was built several centuries ago as one of the examples of the Romanesque style that developed across the Auvergne region. Over time it received additions and changes, including its western entrance, which dates from the 13th century.
Inside the church, sculpted capitals show doves, the archangel Gabriel, and the Virgin Mary, reflecting local artistic traditions from the Auvergne region. These carvings sit atop the columns and can be seen while walking through the nave.
The building sits in a busy part of Clermont-Ferrand and is easy to spot from the street, making it simple to find on foot. It is worth checking in advance whether the church is open to visitors, as access may vary.
A memorial plaque in the north aisle remembers those who died in the First World War, giving the building a role beyond worship. The western portal once held a wooden statue in a niche above the entrance, though that statue no longer exists today.
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