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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Couldre, built in the 12th century in Parthenay, is a notable example of Poitevin Romanesque art. Mentioned in 1300 in the Pouillé of the diocese of Poitiers under the name Beata Maria Partiniaci, she played a central religious role as the seat of an archpriest involved in the appointment of bishops. The site is also associated with the conversion of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, by Saint Bernard in 1135, a major event for regional Christendom.

In 1623 the church was ceded to the Ursulines, who established an adjacent convent there. The French Revolution marked a turning point: sold as a national good in 1789 to Pierre-Jean Andrieux, a defroqué priest, she suffered partial destruction during an attempt to convert to spinning. The Ursulines bought it back in 1847 to found a school, integrating the remains into the present private college Notre-Dame-de-la-Couldre. Classified as a historical monument in 1862, it attracted the attention of Prosper Mérimée as early as 1840.

Today, only the base of the west facade, the lateral walls, the abside and an absidiole remain. The Romanesque portal, typical of the Poitevin style, presents four carved voussures illustrating biblical scenes (Christ in majesty, Annunciation, Psychomachia, Old Apocalypse) and blind arcades with fragmentary reliefs (perhaps Constantine or Samson). The scattered sculptures, sold in the 20th century, are now found in prestigious museums (Louvre, MET, Gardner Museum).

The elements protected since 1862 include the west and south facades, the two gates, as well as the abside and its contiguous absidiole. Although partially destroyed in the 18th century, the church retains an exceptional heritage value, bearing witness to medieval religious architecture and its evolution throughout the centuries. The fragments of capitals (such as those of the Sacrifice of Abraham or the Battle of David and Goliath) recall its rich original decor.

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