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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The old church of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, built in the 12th century, is the oldest monument of this seaside resort in Charente-Maritime. A typical example of Romanesque architecture, it was partially destroyed during the Wars of Religion, losing its nave, transepts and part of its bell tower. The current remains include the choir, the abside and part of the cross of the transept, surmounted by a bell tower whose octagonal base dates from the 12th century, while the upper part was added in the 17th century.

After an early post-war restoration of Religion, the church was closed to worship in 1793 and reassigned to bridges and carriageways, which raised the bell tower to make it bitter. Made to the faithful in 1853, it served as a parish church until the construction of a new building in the late 19th century. Abandoned for a century, it was restored between 1994 and 1997. Its hemicylindrical bedside, adorned with 12th century sculptures, and its columnized bays illustrate its Romanesque heritage.

Partially classified as historical monuments since 1973, the old church offers from its bell tower a panoramic view of the Gironde estuary, the Cordouan lighthouse and the shores of the Médoc. The reinforcements of the 17th and 18th centuries, like the vault of the transept cross, bear witness to the successive adaptations of the building. Today, it is a communal property and retains architectural elements that combine early Romanesque and Gothic influences, visible in bare capitals and boudin-shaped arches.

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