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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Montmorillon appeared for the first time in the texts in 1093 as a chapel dependent on the abbey of Saint Savin. At that time, it was confirmed in possession of the Benedictine Abbey. The present eastern part, including the sanctuary with right span and an apse in hemicycle decorated with archatures, dates back to the late 11th century. The side walls, contemporary of this part, communicate with the nave by narrow passages called "Berrichons", typical of regional Romanesque architecture.

At the beginning of the 13th century, the church became a royal collegiate and underwent major changes: the nave was vaulted in an angeline Gothic style, while the eastern part retained its broken cradle and its dome on pendants. The façade is equipped in the 14th or 15th century with a new portal carved of foliage and niches. During the Hundred Years War, the upper parts were raised and fortified, and the bays of the north wall were closed for defensive reasons.

The building suffered major damage during the Wars of Religion (16th century). A report of 1637 attests to his poor condition, requiring further repairs on the bell tower and the first two spans of the nave. An architectural peculiarity lies in the absence of windows on the north wall, walled during conflicts to facilitate defense. In the 19th century, the vaults of the nave were restored, painted and painted, and a southern chapel was built in 1877. Ranked a historic monument in 1862, the church was closed to the public in 2018 after a partial ground collapse near the north wall.

The crypt, dedicated to Saint Catherine, and the Gothic changes attest to its evolution between a place of Romanesque worship and a fortified building. Its Latin cross plan, with a marked disaxement of the nave, reflects successive adaptations to its topographic environment and defensive needs. Today, it remains an emblematic example of Poitou's religious and military heritage.

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