Saint-André de Saint-André-de-Lidon Church en Charente-Maritime

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Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-André church of Saint-André-de-Lidon finds its origins in an early construction probably dated the 11th century. This original building, composed of a unique nave without transept and a semicircular apse, was enriched in the 12th century by the addition of a southern transept. The church was partly destroyed during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, especially by Protestants in 1562, leaving only the southern wall of the early nave. The slots were overturned either during these conflicts or under the order of Richelieu which demanded the dismantling of the fortresses.

In the 17th century, the church was restored: the south and north walls were lowered, and the bedside and facade walls transformed into gables to support a double-slope roof without a frame. Two niches were preserved, topped in 1669 by a small arcade housing the bell. The ossuary crypt, semi-entered due to the difficulty of digging the rock, lost its original vault during the Wars of Religion. A cradle vault was installed directly on the sides of the walkway, while a Renaissance door was added.

The church gate, characteristic of the first Saintongese gothic, features three buildings decorated with archaicly foliageed capitals. The southern chapel, the only vestige of the 13th century, and the crypt (the vault of which was destroyed) testify to the transformations suffered by the building. Classified as a historical monument in 1943, the church also preserves a painting by Saint Michael, spared during the destructions of the sixteenth century. Its arcade bell tower, added after the disappearance of the original bell tower, marks the adaptation of the building to local cultural needs.

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