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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Nicolas de Civray, built in the 12th century in Vienna (New Aquitaine), is a masterpiece of Poitevin Romanesque art. Its two-storey rectangular facade, richly carved, is flanked by belltons added in the 19th century. Ranked a historic monument in 1840, it illustrates the harmony between exterior decoration and interior structure, with three naves aligned to the blind archatures of the second level. Its traditional Latin cross plan, including a salient transept and an apse choir, is characteristic of the Romanesque churches of the region.

The western facade, despite its degradation, retains an exceptional iconographic decor: modillons appearing in animals and faces, you narrate biblical parables (wise and crazy virges, Assumption), and signs of the zodiac. The portal, restored in the 19th century, incorporates a tympanum of 1858 representing Christ in majesty, surrounded by the tetramorph. The capitals and archatures reveal biblical scenes (Samson, St.Georges) and medieval symbols (sirens, claws), bearing witness to the Romanesque symbolic richness.

Inside, the church (45.5 m long) combines central nave and collateral under vaults in broken cradle, illuminated by an octagonal tower-lantern rare in Poitou. The frescoes of the 14th century (legend of Saint Gilles) are surrounded by paintings of the 19th century. Ranked with its surroundings in 1934, it also embodies the challenges of restoration: in 1842, the facade was dismantled to treat structural pathologies, revealing traces of original polychromy.

The church owes its name to Saint Nicholas of Myre, patron saint of young girls and sailors, whose legend (the three gold purses) is carved on the facade. Its architecture reflects the Saintongean influence, with geminous arches and modillons with various motifs. The successive restorations, notably by Maximilien Lion and Auguste Caristie, preserved this heritage, while adding modern elements such as the tympanum or bell towers.

The bedside, visible from the presbytery, and the apsidioles decorated with diamond-point friezes complete this set. The church, a communal property, remains a major testimony of Romanesque art in Poitou, mixing religious symbolism, craftsmanship and historical adaptations.

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