The Underground Church

The Underground Church of Saint-Jean at Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, France

In south-central France, close to the Perigord lies the village of Aubeterre, home to the underground church of St Jean, known as the monolithic church. The church is located on the cliff which overhangs the Dronne. Carved entirely out of the rock, the main nave reaches a height of 20 m.

At height of 15 m, the nave is bordered by a triforium we can reach by a stairway carved out of the rock. On south of the nave, an impressive necropolis found in 1958 contains more than 80 sarcophagus.

Open 7 days a week, from 9.30 am to midday and 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm.

Additional information:

A monolith is a monument or natural feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock.

triforium , in church architecture, an arcaded gallery above the arches of the nave. In the interiors of medieval churches each bay of the nave wall customarily had three divisions in its height-arcade, triforium, and clerestory.

A necropolis (plural: necropolises or necropoleis) is a large cemetery or burial place ( from Greek nekropolis "city of the dead" ). Apart from the occasional application of the word to modern cemeteries outside large towns, the term is chiefly used of burial grounds near the sites of the centers of ancient civilizations.

Photos: Courtesy of jockstrap29200

Ego Dialogues

The Underground Church