Visit the village of St-André-en-Royans

Museum Overview

Tour of the medieval village, with a map drawn in 1736!
Archaeological remains reveal the history of this village. A visit to the church, a listed historical monument, is worthwhile; its trompe-l'œil ceiling has a symbolic meaning!

The village of Saint-André-en-Royans has preserved archaeological traces of its past. We can find the remains of an 11th-century chapel and its 13th-century extension into the castle's main chapel (facade buttresses, stained-glass window arches, the chapel's forecourt, etc.). By examining the repointed walls of the former town hall buildings, we discover traces of a convent, a girls' orphanage and school dating back to the 1750s.
This village has the particularity of being grouped around the XNUMXth century castle.
The Wars of Religion burned down the first parish of La Roche and its church in 1573.
This is how the villagers rebuilt their houses with their stones within the confines of the feudal castle.
The church rebuilt in 1680 has a ceiling protected as Historic Monuments.
This ceiling, made of painted wood and coffered, magnificently decorated in trompe-l'œil above the choir gives rise to a "symbolic interpretation".
On the walls, decorations of plasterwork, pilasters, arches, niches, formerly very colorful, testify to a great past wealth.
It had a "litre", seigniorial funeral band, interior and exterior.
Against a black background, the coats of arms of the deceased Lord were painted. Only traces of the outer border's coats of arms remain on the north side.
There was an internal liter dedicated to women related to the Lord (wife, mother, grandmother...etc.).
Its bell tower, with three arcades, is particular for the region.
A fun heritage trail highlights and plays with the traces of the historical past that are still clearly visible.
This village, with a past that has always been involved in the history of Dauphiné, has been the stronghold of illustrious families, the lords of Royans, the Guigues Dauphins of Dauphiné, the BERENGERs, the SASSENAGEs, the CLERMONTs, the PRUNIERs of SAINT ANDRE as well as the de LIONNE including Hughes who was minister of Louis XIV.
Duration 1 h

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