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Origin and history

Saint-André Church, located in Saint-André-le-Coq, is an archaic Romanesque building whose narrow nave and arches without columns date from the 12th century. It is built on a primitive defensive motte, with a two-span nave vaulted in a full-cintra cradle, countered by collaterals. Broken double arches and cruciform piles with quart-of-round impostes testify to his Romanesque style. The bedside, probably semicircular at the beginning, seems to date back to the second half of the 11th century, but it was modified in the early 12th century.

In the 19th century, the church underwent major transformations: the bedside, the bell tower and the north and south pierces were redesigned. The interiors, such as the painted decor and the stained glass windows of Champrobert (1875), also date from this period. In 1894, the architect Souliac led a restoration campaign with the entrepreneur Louis Puissauve, including the resumption of the bedside walls, the elevation of the walls and the repair of the roofs. This work, received in 1896, probably marks the execution of interior decorations.

The bell tower, rebuilt in the 15th and 19th centuries, rises on the cross of the transept and has a roof in the pavilion. The bays, including that of the tripartite choir, have been enlarged or modified, with vertical splinters and trilobed forms. The materials used, such as limestone and andesite for angle chains, reflect local techniques. The church has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1997.

The roofs with a streeted section cover the sides and arms of the transept, while the nave and bedside are covered with long sections. The mechanical flat tiles replace an old hollow tile cover. Despite plans to expand in 1871, the building retained a medieval structure enriched by 19th-century elements, illustrating its architectural evolution.

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