Former Saint Augustine Church en Charente-Maritime

Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint Augustine, originally a private chapel of the house of Breuil, dates from the 18th century and was enlarged in 1843. It became a parish church in 1859 after being offered by Mrs Manes, owner of the estate, provided that she obtained this status. The building replaces an ancient Romanesque church, in ruins in the 19th century, of which no vestige remains.

The chapel, of sober style, was transformed in 1859 by architect Sauvion, who added a classical facade with triangular pediment. Inside, a single nave arched in basket cove and a hemicircular apse form a clean space, illuminated by bays in the middle of the hanger. The furniture includes a baroque high altar and a bell of 1773, classified as a historical monument.

The church, today communal property, retains a cult function with Tridentine Masses celebrated by the Institute of Christ the Sovereign King Priest. A request for classification under the Historic Monuments was refused in 2012, the commission considering its architectural interest insufficient.

The original site of the Romanesque church, located on an eminence overlooking the ancient Gulf of Barbareu, also housed a cemetery. Depending on Saint-Étienne de Vaux Abbey, this first church, dilapidated in the 19th century, was demolished to reuse its materials.

The bell of 1773, classified in 1938, comes from a Scandinavian ship and is one of the few notable historical elements of the building. Despite its role in local parish life, the church did not obtain additional heritage protection.

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