THE CHAPEL SAINT FRONT DU COULOBRE
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Chapel in Couze-et-Saint-Front, located at the end of a rocky spur, with two entrances
The chapel, perched at the end of a rocky spur overlooking the Dordogne, commemorates a legendary prodigy attributed to Saint Front, the apostle of Périgord, who is said to have struck down the terrible dragon, the Coulobre, ravaging the region. Probably dating from the 12th century, it rests on a 7th-century edifice and is said to have been built on an ancient pagan place of worship. The chapel has two entrances, one on the east side surmounted by a small human head. The baptismal font was originally located outside, under a shelter, as baptism was to precede entry into the church. Two remarkable capitals adorn the entrance to the choir: one depicts the temptation in paradise, where a serpent embraces a tree laden with fruit and presents an apple to Eve, while Saint Front appears to observe the scene. The other capital, on the north side, surmounts a column fragment and shows three monstrous creatures; the one in the center, with a human face, has a double tail and limbs resembling animal legs. This column could symbolize the three leopards representing English domination. Tradition has it that a large snakeskin hung on the nave wall for a long time, in memory of the dragon defeated by Saint Front. This memory lives on in the name of the "trou du Coulobre", a cave beneath the chapel, said to be the dragon's lair. Saint Front, patron saint of the Périgueux diocese, is said to have come from nearby Lanquais.
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