The warm sandstone exterior is pleasant enough. But the real wonder begins within this church in Glaine-Montaigut, a small village 30 minutes’ drive from Clermont-Ferrand. Built in the Romanesque manner out of subtly different shades of sandstone, Eglise Saint Jean isn’t considered one of the Auvergne’s five major churches (along with the basilicas in Orcival and Clermont-Ferrand, elaborate edifices in Saint-Austremoine d’Issoire, Saint-Saturnin and Saint-Nectaire grab the other top spots). Nonetheless, painstaking restoration in the 1990s has restored the lustre to this church. Inside, geometric designs in navy and ochre radiate out from its inner arches, seemingly supported by squat figures representing Atlas. A rich mythical menagerie adorns Saint-Jean, with centaurs, griffins and monkeys lurking on columns and within sculpted reliefs. With glowing frescoes of a throned Christ that date back to the 1200s, it’s an inspiring place to hear the whisper of Auvergne history.
