Combiers priory of Rauzet or Rozet, The church

THE CHURCH

          The SANCTUARY from the latin sanctuarium derives from sanctus: saint, the sanctuary is the part of the church which is around the principal altar where all the liturgical ceremonies, in particular the oﬃce of the mass take place.

          In the grandmontine churches, the sanctuary occupies the entire space of the apse. The floor is raised higher than that of the nave, it is also slightly broader than the nave. The apse is vaulted with a semi-dome. The circular east end of the apse is pierced by three very high windows with very large interior embrasures.

          The nave is the part of the church between west wall and the sanctuary, a part of the west is for the faithful and between the monks’ doorway and the sanctuary is the monks’ choir. The nave is covered with a lightly pointed barrel vault, directly under it there is a cordon (string course) running along both the north and south side walls. The doorway of the faithful is at the far end of the nave. The monks’ doorway is in the wall that opens directly into the cloister gallery.