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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The chapel of Chirac Cemetery, located in the eponymous commune of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (formerly Poitou-Charentes), is a rectangular religious building built in the 14th century. It is distinguished by its bell tower, typical of small rural churches, and its flat bedside. Inside, a cornice supports a wooden slat ceiling, while murals, partially exposed on the north and east walls, organize into two horizontal registers. These paintings, framed by friezes of rinceaux and coloured bands (red, yellow, green ochre), illustrate scenes from the New Testament, including the Nativity and childhood of Christ.

The frescoes, divided into paintings by a system of vertical bands, reveal a careful religious iconography, characteristic of medieval provincial art. The chapel, classified as a Historical Monument since 1977 (including its paintings), belongs to the commune. Its modest architecture and painted decorations make it a rare testimony of 14th century rural sacred art in Charente, now integrated into the New Aquitaine region.

The location of the chapel, reported as satisfactory a priori (note 6/10), corresponds to address 16 Rue Raymond Rivet in Chirac. The monument, a communal property, is not explicitly mentioned as to its current accessibility (visits, rental) in the available sources. The photographs of the site are attributed to Rosier, under Creative Commons license.

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