Eglise Souterraine Saint Jean, Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Eglise Souterraine Saint Jean, a subterranean rock hewn church in Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, Charente, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The underground church was cut 7th - 12th century by Benedictine monks, from solid limestone rock, to house sacred relics, in pits and in a Romanesque reliquary resembling the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It also contains a 20m high nave, a gallery and a necropolis containing hundreds of sarcophagi. It was rediscovered and excavated in the 1950s and is listed as a historic monument. The village has existed since the Middle Ages and is on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Picture by Manuel Cohen

Filename

LC20_FRANCE_MC_0318.jpg

Copyright

© Manuel Cohen

Image Size

6081x7188 / 8.8MB

www.manuelcohen.com

France French Europe European Western Europe Western European Aubeterre-sur-Dronne Charente Nouvelle-Aquitaine New Aquitaine Angouleme Tude-et-Lavalette Lavalette Tude Dronne Aubeterre sur Dronne pilgrimage building architecture history heritage subterranean monolithic church religion religious sacred belief faith christian christianity catholic catholicism Romanesque underground church Eglise Saint Jean Eglise Souterraine Saint Jean underground rock hewn 7th century 12th century Benedictine excavated St John's church historic monument monument historique reliquary relics gallery pit nave column window vertical interior inside indoors

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