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Detour Worth Making: The Underground Church of Saint-Jean at Aubeterre-sur-Dronne

by Willy Volk (RSS feed) on Apr 27th 2007 at 5:02PM

In south-central France, close to the Perigord -- one of Europe's wildest spots -- lies the village of Aubeterre. Though the village itself is beautiful -- featuring winding cobbled alleys and verdant landscapes, just how you'd imagine a rural French village would look -- the most impressive feature in the community lies semi-hidden underground. Hand-hewn from the surrounding rock, a subterranean cavern rests beneath the Church of Saint-Jean.

Centuries old, the glorious cathedral-like structure -- 88 feet long and 52 feet wide -- features arched ceilings more than 60 feet high. Interestingly, in 1958, locals discovered a necropolis containing more than 80 sarcophagi, hollowed out of the floor.

You can visit the underground church 7 days a week, from 9.30 to 6.00 pm (the church closes at midday). If you can't make it to France, you can still check out some awesome images of the place. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of work that went into hollowing out such a large space.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, France

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Marilyn Terrell Apr 28th 2007 9:54AM

Wow! I thought this church was small until I saw the tiny person down there.

Ian Mure Sep 21st 2007 1:38PM

This Church is truly fantastic, a real hidden gem in a lovely village and a very beautiful area. Came across it by accident 7 years ago. There are also some remarkable caves close by high up in the cliff face.

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