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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Martin de Barbezières, mentioned in the 11th century, was originally given to the abbey of Saint-Amant-de-Boixe by Hélie de Marcillac, local lord who became a monk. It then became a perpetual vicary, then a cure. In the 13th century, the abbey gave it to the Templars, despite the usual tensions between the order and the secular clergy. The bishop of Angoulême even had to intervene to calm the conflicts between the two communities.

In 1312, after the dissolution of the Templars, the church passed under the care of the Hospitallers of Beauvais-sur-Matha. The latter retained the right of appointment to the cure and the lifting of the tithe. The building, almost destroyed during the Hundred Years' War, kept only its Romanesque walls. In the 15th century, the choir was rebuilt in Gothic style, with a dogive vault decorated with the coat of arms of the Barbezières.

At the end of the 19th century, the façade, which was heavily redesigned, now features a door in the middle of the wall and an arcade bell tower. The nave, with two spans, retains traces of its original cover in broken cradles. Ranked a historical monument in 1993, the church illustrates the architectural and religious transformations of the region, from Templars to Hospitallers, as well as the post-war reconstructions of Hundred Years.

The sources emphasize its dual role: a place of parish worship and dependence on military-religious orders. Its history reflects the rivalries and collaborations between ecclesiastical and seigneurial powers in Angoumois, as well as architectural adaptations related to conflicts and changes in owners.

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