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Origin and history

The church Sainte-Madeleine de Bors, located in the Charente department, is a religious monument dating back to the twelfth century. Its Romanesque façade, characteristic of this period, bears witness to its foundation around 1120, probably linked to the abbey of Baigne. The building would have been created by donations made to the Archbishop of Bordeaux by Arnaud, son of Amalvin, according to historical sources.

The church underwent major changes in the 14th and 15th centuries, especially after the damage caused by the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion. These transformations modified its initial architecture, with a plane elongated into a single vessel of four spans. The bell tower-wall, overcoming the facade divided by a modillon cornice, and the open bedside of a triplet, are significant elements of this reconstruction.

Classified as a historical monument in 1994, the church of Sainte-Madeleine is now decommissioned, with the exception of some burials. Its history reflects the political and religious upheavals of the region, from its medieval foundation to its late reconstructions. The cure, formerly united with the abbey of Baigne, also illustrates the close links between local religious institutions in the Middle Ages.

The traces of an ancient missing gallery, visible through the remains of an archature, as well as the foothills surrounding the central gate and the lateral archatures, recall the architectural evolutions of the building. Despite its present state, the church remains an important testimony to the Romanesque and Gothic heritage of the Charente.

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