Église Saint-Christophe

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

Church built during the 12th century (single nave, transept with absidioles, apse), which underwent alterations around the 13th century (west façade, vaulting of the nave). The Wars of Religion caused it serious damage in 1574. The bell tower which was to be at the crossing disappeared and the choir was razed. Repairs were carried out in ashlar stone over the spared Romanesque walls. In the 19th century, the vaulting and pillars of the nave, crossing and choir were heavily reworked. The building presents a Latin cross plan. The west façade, divided into three registers by horizontal cornices, opens onto a wide portal with colonnettes and three round arches. A small single-bay bell tower wall of classical period is built between the nave and crossing. The chevet presents a hexagonal apse. The interior of the nave has isolated neo-Romanesque columns supporting a rib vault in brick. The choir and crossing are also covered with 19th-century vaults. Only the transept arms retain their barrel vault in stone and the absidioles their cul-de-four. This church is one of the rare ones in Saintonge to have preserved intact its transept with absidioles.