Église Notre-Dame de Thines, Romanesque church in Malarce-sur-la-Thines, France.
Notre-Dame de Thines is a Romanesque church that stands on a hillside above the Thines river valley. The building features four stone column statues at the entrance portal and a large staircase leading to the main doorway.
The church was built between 1170 and 1190 by Benedictine monks from Saint-Chaffre du Monastier Abbey. It received protected monument status in 1862.
The church serves as a stopping point on the pilgrimage route to Le Puy-en-Velay, where travelers have gathered for centuries. The carved portal depicts biblical scenes that reflect the beliefs and artistic skills of medieval craftspeople.
The church sits along the pilgrimage routes to Le Puy-en-Velay and Santiago de Compostela and is accessible on foot. The village is small and quiet, making it easy to spend time exploring the building and its surroundings without crowds.
The stone used to build the church was transported from a quarry in Faugères, revealing the scale of effort invested in the project. The material had to be moved by hand across significant distances, showing the craftsmanship required in medieval construction.
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