Boucle équestre Beaulieu par Argeyrolles

The medieval town of Beaulieu stands on the right bank of the River Dordogne. Nicknamed the "Limousin Riviera" because of its mild climate, the area is perfect for strawberry cultivation. The abbey church of St Pierre is all that remains of the Benedictine abbey founded here in the 9C by Raoul de Turenne, the archbishop of Bourges. Of particular interest is the tympanum depicting the Last Judgement, one of the finest in France.

This Benedictine abbey was founded in the 9th c. by Raoul de Turenne, Archbishop of Bourges. It is one of the most remarkable monastic churches of the Limousin Romanesque style. The glory of the church is the tympanum made by southern stone cutters about 1135. It depicts the return and triumph of the Lord in Glory at the end of Time, which precedes the last judgment, also called the second parousia The treasure is exhibited in the north transept. It consists of the famous statue of the Virgin and Child in wood covered with silver dating from the 12th century, also called the Virgin of Beaulieu, a lantern (in fact a reliquary) which may be of Byzantine origin dating from the 11th century, an enamelled shrine dating from the 13th century and representing the journey of the Three Wise Men, and two silver reliquary arms from the 13th century, those of Sainte-Félicité and Saint-Emilion. The other reliquary objects all date from the 17th and 18th century. Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne is a member of the Federation of Clunisian Sites.

This was built in the 12th century to welcome the parishioners of Beaulieu. Before its construction, people had to attend the mass in the church of Sioniac (3kms up the hill), the former parish. Entry to the Abbey was actually strictly reserved for pilgrims except for the Saint-Prime and Saint-Félicien chapel, the subordinate parish of Beaulieu. Partly destroyed during the Hundred Years War, the port-haut church was restored at the bishop’s request thanks to a rich family (Roquet d’Estresses family) who lent some money to the consulate. It was sold off as part of the national estate during the French Revolution. It was bought in 1820 by the Blue Penitents Brotherhood. They gathered to pray and do penance. They wore blue robes and their faces were hidden by hoods. The costume aimed at putting all the friars on an equal footing. The friars had marvellous processions. This brotherhood, created in the 17th century, vanished little by little and finally disappeared in 1867 after having had great importance in the town. Nowadays, the Chapelle des Pénitents with its wonderful wall-steeple (or comb-shaped steeple) and its bells belongs to the town which restored it in 1990, and it houses a small local history museum and numerous temporary exhibitions.