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Origin and history

The Saint-Étienne church of Vaux-sur-Mer, located in Charente-Maritime, is an emblematic vestige of Saintonge's Romanesque architecture. Founded around 1075 by Pierre and Arnaud Gémon, lords of Mortagne, it was first a Benedictine abbey placed under the protection of Maillezais Abbey. His history was marked by conflicts with local lords, such as the excommunication of Guibert de Didonne in 1167 for plundering his lands. In 1170, she went under the direct protection of Pope Alexander III, testifying to his growing influence.

The abbey reached its peak in the 12th century, with possessions extending over several parishes of the dioceses of Saintes and Bordeaux. Ravaged during the Wars of Religion, it was abandoned until 1413 and confiscated in 1584 by Catherine de Bourbon. After the Revolution, the monastic community was dissolved in 1793, leaving only remains: the square of the transept, the choir, and a Gothic chapel. Its square bell tower, still standing, dominates the village.

The present building, classified as a historical monument in 1913, preserves remarkable Romanesque elements: an apse with archatures, historic capitals (lapidation of St Stephen, fabulous animals), and a 13th century inscription attesting to a gift for a candle. His adjacent cemetery was also protected in 1936. A symbol of Saintongeese religious heritage, she was even represented on a postal stamp in 2004.

The abbey played a central role in local life, hosting about ten monks from the nobility (Mortagne, Didonne, Talmont) and lay servants. His conflicts with the lords, like that of 1167, illustrate the tensions between ecclesiastical and feudal power in Saintonge. The pontifical protection of 1170 strengthened its autonomy, but the wars of Religion sealed its decline, despite its resilience to Anglo-Aquitaine conflicts.

Today, St. Stephen's church stands as a sober testimony of Romanesque art, with a stripped facade masking the traces of its missing nave. Its apse, decorated with columnettes and grimaçant patterns, contrasts with interior austerity. The southern chapel, a Gothic addition, and the modern stained glass windows of the choir recall its transformations over the centuries. A communal property, it remains a place of memory and worship in the heart of Vaux-sur-Mer.

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