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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame de Sainte-Radegonde, located in the Charente-Maritime department in New Aquitaine, is a religious building dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. A charter of 1047 mentions for the first time the parish, ceded to the abbey of Notre-Dame de Saintes, a donation confirmed in 1153 by a bubble of Pope Anastase. These documents attest to its seniority and its link with regional monastic institutions.

The goutreal walls of the nave, potentially the oldest parts, could date back to the 11th century, while the facade, rebuilt in the 12th century, illustrates a so-called "barbaric" Romanesque style, characterized by sculptures decorated with consoles and modillons. The western portal, redesigned between the 14th and 15th centuries, combines Romanesque elements (saw teeth on the archvolt) and Gothic elements (tores with listels), reflecting successive architectural developments. The choir, with a flat bedside, replaces an older Romanesque sanctuary, and a bell tower pierced with two bays, typical of the small local churches, rises between the nave and the choir.

The building, owned by the commune, has been listed as historic monuments since November 13, 1996. Its simple plan, composed of an elongated nave and a narrower choir, as well as its decorative elements (sculpted modillons, archvolt with saw teeth), make it a remarkable testimony of rural religious architecture in Saintonge. Available sources, including the Mérimée and Clochers de France bases, highlight its historical and heritage interest.

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