Become Priory Fin du XIe siècle (≈ 1195)
Located in Nieul-sur-l'Autize (Vendée).
1317
Change of diocese
Change of diocese 1317 (≈ 1317)
Link to Maillezais after Poitiers.
XIIe et XVe siècles
Construction periods
Construction periods XIIe et XVe siècles (≈ 1550)
Mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles.
23 octobre 1980
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 23 octobre 1980 (≈ 1980)
Official protection of the building.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Church (Case AS 161): Order of 23 October 1980
Key figures
Charles le Chauve - King of the Franks
Age of the first episcopal possession.
Évêque de Charroux - Carolingian owner
Initial holder under Charles le Chauve.
Origin and history
The church of Saint-Étienne de Coulonges-sur-l'Autize, classified as a historic monument in 1980, has its origins since the Carolingian era. At that time, it belonged to the bishop of Charroux (Vienna) during the reign of Charles le Chauve. Towards the end of the 11th century, she became a priory dependent on Nieul-sur-l'Autize (Vendée). After the dismemberment of the diocese of Poitiers in 1317, it was attached to the bishopric of Maillezais and the archpried of Ardin.
The architecture of the church has evolved over the centuries. Originally designed on a Latin cross plane, it was modified at the end of the Gothic with the addition of a north side and a flat bedside replacing the old Roman bedside. From the Romanesque period remain the vaulted nave in broken cradle, the arms of the transept, the span under steeple (covered with a dome on trunks) and part of the western facade. The western door, decorated with palmettes and six petal flowers, as well as the bell tower, testify to these transformations.
The building, located at the 3 Impasse of the Church in Coulonges-sur-l'Autize (Deux-Sèvres), is the property of the municipality. Its classification in 1980 protects the entire church, including its Romanesque and Gothic elements. Available sources, such as Monumentum and Mérimée, confirm its heritage importance in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, heiress of Poitou-Charentes.
