Aurillac Secret

Built in 1616 at the wish of the consuls following the town’s deliverance in 1581 during the Wars of Religion, this chapel is a fascinating testimony to local history and the religious fervor of yesteryear. Legend has it that, during a Protestant attack, the Virgin Mary herself appeared on the ramparts, inspiring the construction of this edifice in her honor, on the very spot where she appeared.

Constantin de Combes, in charge of the construction, reused the remains of the Seyrac tower for the bell tower, combining history and architecture in a unique ensemble.

Enlarged in the 19th century, the chapel reveals a number of treasures:

• three votive paintings from 1701 by the painter Fabry (evoking the 1581 battle, the apparition of the Virgin and the thanksgiving procession) ;
• the main altar, featuring a volcanic stone fireplace lintel from the Maison consulaire, bearing 4 coats of arms (of the Cambefort family, the town, Saint-Géraud abbey and Aurillac parish church);
• a 14th-century statue of the Virgin Mary above the altar;
• a 1622 stained-glass window above the door depicting the Virgin and Child Jesus.

Rising from the earth in the 1970s, the Belbex stone circles are the remains of a Gallo-Roman fanum (a rural temple distinct from a “templum” in terms of size) probably erected in the 1st century AD and destroyed in the 3rd century, based on the site of Aron, an Arverne “vicus” (a Roman concept referring to any settlement that did not have the status of a town).

This fanum consists of two parts. The inner wall corresponds to the central space, the cella, a room about 8m in diameter that housed the statue of the venerated deity. Only priests had access to the interior of the cella. However, during certain ceremonies, the doors could be opened so that the divinity could see and exercise his protective power over the outside world.

Surrounding the cella are the foundations of the polygonal circulation gallery (or ambulatory), composed of alternating walls and column bases (8 of the 16 found on site).

The temple at Aron bears witness both to the persistence of Celtic traditions in the region in the 1st century (with this characteristic layout) and to the influence and integration of certain Roman standards, particularly in terms of architectural decoration (some of the remains found on site are on display at the Musée d’Art et d’Archéologie d’Aurillac).