Église souterraine monolithe de Saint-Émilion

Saint-Émilion

In the heart of Saint-Émilion, a whole church has been hollowed out of the limestone. It measures 38 metres long and 12 high, according to the tourist office. The Mérimée record places its beginnings in the 8th century, around the oratory of the monk Émilion, and its completion in the Romanesque period. The tourist office, for its part, says it was cut in the early 12th century: the datings do not agree. In 1110, the monastery adopted the rule of Saint Augustine, and a tower rose above the underground church. This tower later served as the base of the Gothic bell tower, 68 metres high. In the early 14th century, Pope Clement V transformed the community into a chapter, and Gothic windows and a portal were cut into the rock. The church long served as a burial place for the monks. It was listed as a historic monument in 1886, and its bell tower in 1907. In 1999, the Jurisdiction of Saint-Émilion was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which cites the hermitage, the monolithic church and the medieval catacombs.

French Ministry of Culture — Mérimée database : église souterraine monolithe (Saint-Émilion) ↗

Getting there: Guided tour only, starting from the Saint-Émilion tourist office; it is part of the underground circuit that also includes the hermitage and the chapelle de la Trinité. Booking advised in season. Coordinates taken from OpenStreetMap, about 150 m from the hermitage already on the map.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound