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Many animals find refuge in this imposing oak grove, formerly owned by the Dukes of Bourbon. It's a very pleasant cycle along this shaded road.

The town of Souvigny was chosen by the Bourbon dynasty as the religious capital of its duchy. Thus, the commune became the necropolis of all the Bourbon lords.

Built in the 13th century on a rock overlooking the town of Bourbon-l'Archambault, this castle controlled the ancient roads. It was the first castle of the Bourbon dynasty. It will remain a "symbolic building" of the family's power.

Beautiful town church in Moulins

Very beautiful church, right in the center of Moulins. It's worth a visit. The stained glass windows are beautiful. 🤩

This church with the title "SACRE-COEUR" is not dedicated to one of the countless saints or - like many churches in France - to the Virgin Mary and Mother of God ("Notre-Dame"). Here, the choice of patronage was made directly to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. The "HEART OF JESUS" veneration, which in earlier times was deeply rooted in popular piety, can look back on a three-and-a-half-century-long history in the Catholic Church: It can be traced back to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoyue (1647 to 1690), a French nun. In this time-honored tradition, this church here in Moulins-sur-Allier was also dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The most famous church – not only in this country, but in continental Europe in general – with this patronage is “SACRE-COEUR de Montmartre” in the French capital (if you are interested, see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/229994 ).

Romanesque church with Burgundian, Auvergne and Berry influence. Built at the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th, the current building belongs to the transitional Romanesque style. Indeed, if it is Romanesque in its general plan, the ornamentation of its portals and its capitals, its narrow semi-circular openings, its elegant apse and its cul-de-four vaulted apsidioles, it is "timidly" Gothic through the vault of its nave. Furthermore, built at the crossroads of three dioceses, this construction was influenced by the Burgundian, Auvergne and Berry schools. The capitals are most interesting: intertwined foliage, heads of grimacing men and beasts, grotesque masks... A statue of the Virgin with the bird in polychrome wood dates from the 17th century. It is remarkable for its state of preservation and its subject: Mary holding the child Jesus in her arms with a bird perched on his hand. This refers to the apocryphal gospel of the childhood of Jesus according to Thomas written in the 3rd century: Jesus as a child performs miracles such as giving life to clay birds.

The building bears witness to Burgundian Romanesque art with its semi-circular portal, at the bottom of a splay decorated with eggs and tori: numerous historic capitals. In the 15th century two side chapels were added, including the chapel of the Holy Cross which since the Revolution contained the relics of the Cross of Christ and a thorn of the Holy Crown. These are now at the parish house. At the back of the 12th century nave, the romantic 16-stop organ dates from 1892. During his stays in Bourbon, Camille St-Saëns accompanied the services on the latter.