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Songeson
Saint-Georges (St George)

Traditional stone-pammented roof at Songeson.

From the village street. West door beneath the tower. Dedication stone on the later sacristy. War memorial.
Looking east. Sanctuary. The face of pure evil. Looking west.
The south transept. Font and alms chest. BVM altar - much simpler than many. Late 16th century tomb slab.

  I cycled to Songeson up the steep climb from the valley floor at Doucier. I was rewarded with stunning views from a lookout point over the lakes at the foot of the Cascades de Herrisson.

St George stands on a high point above the village street. At first sight, it is a typical cruciform church of the area, but it is actually of some significance.

The restoration of 1780 was a light one, and much of what you see dates from the mid-16th century. Most striking from the outside is the stone pamment roof, typical of older agricultural buildings in the area but so so often replaced by tiles on churches. The pamments here survived the fire of 1833, and the collapse of the original cloche.

The bell tower had been added at the end of the 18th century in three stages, with an open porch beneath. Presumably the font appeared at the same time; it follows the local fashion by being built into the north wall, with an image of the baptism of Christ above. In front of it stands an alms box carved from a single trunk of wood.

The painting in the sanctuary of St George killing the dragon is an odd one. The dragon is a wicked thing, malevolent and intent on murder. Quite different from the vapid imagery that surrounds the Saint's role as England's patron. The painting is signed Vandel de St Cloud 1852.

Outside the church, on the south side of the later sacristy, there is a lintel which reads: Hoc factum est cura D Mannin ('this was built by the Priest D Mannin').

Saint- George, Songeson, is in the middle of its village which is on the D39 road between Doucier and le Frasnois. It is a Monument Nationale, and appears to be kept open.