The Church of St Andre-le-Bas was once part of a wealthy abbey founded in the C6th. The cloisters were built in the C12th.
The west wall of the church was threatening to collapse and a building, the Heritage Hall was added to the front in an attempt to shore it up. This now houses a small exhibition on the urban development and heritage of Vienne. The east end has a typical Romanesque apse and tower.
The inside of the church is very simple with blank arcading on the walls of the nave with wall columns forming ribs on the vaulted ceiling. The bottom of the apse is lined with wooden panels and there is a very simple altar. The west end is very different with a gallery with the organ and two large modern stained glass windows providing the only colour in the church. At the back set in a small niche is a carved stone font.
Access to the church is via the Heritage centre. The exhibition was all in French and probably not particularly interesting to the average tourist. The church is plain and is only worth a quick look if passing. It is not one to go out of your way to find…
I visited Vienne on Day 4 of Burgundy, the River Rhone and Provence, a river cruise with Riviera Travel.
My full account with all the pictures can be found “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/otherholidays/rhone/index.html
