Augerolles is a commune

Communes of France

The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...

 in the Puy-de-Dôme

Puy-de-Dôme

Puy-de-Dôme is a department in the centre of France named after the famous dormant volcano, the Puy-de-Dôme.Inhabitants were called Puydedomois until December 2005...

 department in Auvergne

Auvergne (région)

Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not...

 in central France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

The Church

The church in Augerolles, a momument classé

Monument historique

A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...

, was altered throughout the 11th to 14th centuries that resulted in a combination of Romanesque

Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...

 and Gothic style

Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....

. At 35 meters tall, the old bell tower

Bell tower

A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...

 was demolished during the French Revolution

French Revolution

The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

 and the bells

Church bell

A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...

 were melted. The bell tower was rebuilt in 1844 with two new bells. Under the choir is a funeral crypt

Crypt

In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....

 in which the lords of the manor and priors of the castles of Frédeville and Grimardies are buried.

Lords

Three noble families follow one another in the history of Augerolles: The d'Ogerolles family, owners of the priory which they yielded to the monks around the year 1000; then, the de Frédeville family, for nearly five centuries, who left their name to a hamlet (their castle today is in ruins); and the de Provenchères family, for three centuries, who lived in the castle of Grimardies (from the 15th century).

Revolutionary Period

On 1 February 1790, the commune of Augerolles was divided into two parts: Le Bourg and Frédeville. From 1790 to 1800 the commune was the chief town of the canton, encompassing Aubusson

Aubusson-d'Auvergne

Aubusson-d'Auvergne is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...

, Augerolles, and Olmet

Olmet

Olmet is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...

.

In 1793, the bell tower was destroyed but the church was saved because of local intervention. The municipal council decided to rebuilt the bell tower and renovate the church in 1803. The castle of Frédeville was also demolished in 1793 under the order of the Director

French Directory

The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...

 of Thiers

Thiers, Puy-de-Dôme

Thiers is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. Thiers is twinned with Bridgnorth, England and Schrobenhausen, Germany.Thiers is built upon a hillside along the Durolle river valley...

. In December 1793, the French Republican calendar

French Republican Calendar

The French Republican Calendar or French Revolutionary Calendar was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871...

 replaced the Gregorian calendar

Gregorian calendar

The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...

.