Ancienne église Sainte-Croix, dite aussi chapelle Sainte-Radegonde

English translation

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History

This building is the sole remaining bay of a former abbey church, destroyed around 1835. The original church belonged to an abbey founded at the end of the 11th century by Isenbert I, bishop of Poitiers. The first stone of the building was laid in 1175 and the dedication took place in 1192. It was doubtless built in the Poitevin Romanesque style. It presented a Latin cross plan and consisted of a nave of two bays, a transept with two chapels and a choir. The façade presents a very regular arrangement with a main portal accompanied by two more modest false portals; two long paired windows above; a pediment pierced with two windows whose slopes form an acute angle at the bottom of which runs a cornice resting on modillions. The four voussoirs of the main portal are ornamented with foliage and rest on capitals with crockets. The arêtes of the pilasters are ornamented with leaf garlands. The back wall is pierced with a pointed arch opening. It was built in the 19th century, when the church was reduced to a single bay. The interior preserves Gothic capitals with palmettes. The primitive vault was barrel or round arch. The present vault, in wood, was established in the 19th century.