Chapelle Saint-Criat de Verchizeuil

About

This chapel is a Romanesque chapel of the eleventh century dedicated to Jesus Christ under the name of "Saint Criat". It is located in Verchizeuil (hammer of Verzé) in the Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy.

History: In the 11th century, the monks of Cluny Abbey built this Romanesque chapel dedicated to Saint Martin before being dedicated to Saint Christ, on a historic Celtic site where the population practiced pagan rites every May 1st at the edge of a "miraculous source".

It was damaged, restored and transformed several times over the centuries, which explains, in particular, its "turnover", the chapel being now oriented to the west while it was, once, to the east. The chapel was visited in 1721 by Bishop Cassagnet of Tilladet, Bishop of Mâcon, who found his poor state: "We, Bishop of Mâcon, know that, continuing the general visits of our diocese, we have transported to the rural chapel of Verchizeuil once parish church and today served by the parish priest of Verzé, assisted by our vicar general [...]. Have recognized that said chapel, which is isolated, has about thirty feet...