It was built between the 10th and 11th centuries by Benedictine monks from Borgo San Dalmazzo in Piedmont. The structure, originally built on a basilical plan, only had a crypt.
The nave is oriented west to east, facing the rising sun. The north and south crypts were added between 1100 and 1150 when the priory received relics of the Holy Cross. The church was then dedicated to it and has since been called the Church of the Holy Cross. This building is a testament to two architectural periods: the first, Romanesque Lombard art, of which the bell tower is the main characteristic, and the second, Baroque.
In the middle of the 17th century, an earthquake caused a landslide. The north crypt was then buried and transformed into an ossuary. The wooden structure was replaced by a masonry vault whose weight required the addition of external buttresses.
It was at this time that the church was decorated in the Baroque style with stuccoes. The bell tower, which collapsed during the earthquake, was rebuilt and altars were added. Plunging into the 17th century, we are pilgrims seeking purification. The monks in the choir recite the lauds, and the sinner will follow a clever route to avoid disturbing the service and prayer.
He heads towards the north crypt, thus to the left of the nave, and through an entrance requiring him to bow (the weight of his sins) he accesses the central crypt, where the relics are located. Having gathered himself and purified, he can exit through the south crypt, widely open to the light, then leaves the church, with the monks still in prayer, through a small concealed door on the right side of the building.
This door is now bricked up; since the 18th century, there have been no monks in prayer, and the pilgrim can freely explore this church, its medieval tombs, and its Baroque treasures, which include a altarpiece and frescoes. The remains of a tomb and an altar stone suggest the existence of a chapel predating this church.
The priory of Saint Dalmas de Valdeblore is one of the oldest in France.
Thierry Jan
