Église Saint-Pierre

English translation

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History

A first rustic building of the 11th century is succeeded by a campaign of more elaborate construction entirely in ashlar, at the beginning of the 12th century (entirely preserved in the bell tower bay, except the upper part). This bay is provided with a dome on pendentives. These flat and triangular pendentives instead of being concave, could be the sign of one of the very first uses of this type of support. This is the only example of this type recorded in Saintonge, whereas it is frequent in Limousin or on the borders of Limousin and Poitou. Various authors agree in thinking that this dome was installed at the beginning of the 12th century. The capitals, covered with flat non-figurative decoration, have no counterparts in Saintonge, remaining the unique expression of an archaic style. In the 13th century, repair of a window in the third bay of the nave; rebuilding of a choir with flat chevet; raising of the bell tower. This bell tower is fairly original, with a series of columns and a lower part decorated with a colonnade carrying entablature, an unique feature in the various examples of bell towers recorded. The Renaissance extension as well as various interventions from the 17th to the 19th century are less striking.