La Chapelaude, Église Saint-Nicolas

    Parish of the former diocese of Bourges. Church results from gift made in 1059-60 by Jean de S-Caprais to the abbey of S-Denis which resulted in the foundation of the priory of La Chapelle; later called La Chapelle-S-Denis, and finally La Chapelle-Aude. The church has a nave of three bays with a rounded barrel vault articulated with transverse arches. The narrow aisles are covered with longitudinal barrel vaults. Transept arms open into apsidal chapels; the long choir is flanked by very small apsidal chambers which probably served as sacristies—a feature also found at S-Desiré, Huriel, Domerat and S-Pierre de Montluçon.