Church of Saint John Baptist en Charente

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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint John Baptiste du Grand-Madieu, built at the end of the 12th century, was originally the chapel of a Templar Commandery, then hospitalier after 1312. This monument, located on a secondary route frequented by pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela, illustrates the sober architecture of the Templars with its rectangle 19 meters long and its flat bedside pierced by a triplet. The nave, covered with a broken cradle, was illuminated mainly by the sanctuary, while the bell tower, exceptionally placed on the rectangular apse, was added later.

In 1312 the commandary passed to the Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem after the dissolution of the Order of the Temple. The Hospitallers united several nearby commanderies (Petit-Madieu, Chambon) with that of the Grand-Madieu, forming an important ecclesiastical seigneury in Angoumois. In the 16th century, the command office had the title of chestnut, and its commander appointed justice officers as a senechal. In 1790, under the last commander, Thomas Rigaud de Sérézin, the Commander's income, including land and a mill, was £4,600.

The church, used jointly as a commandary chapel and parish church, was modified in the 15th century to support a rectangular bell tower, a rare feature for a templar church. The portal, richly decorated with sculptures and roses, and partially preserved frescoes testify to its historical importance. The auxiliary buildings, such as the house of the Commander, now in ruins, leaned directly on the north wall of the building. Classified as a historical monument in 1973, this church remains an emblematic vestige of the Templar and Hospitalier heritage in New Aquitaine.

The command office had land and a bachellery (road maintenance service), reflecting its economic and logistical role in the region. A maladry, although mentioned by ancient sources, left no archaeological trace. The church, with its characteristic triplet and flat bedside, follows the model of the Templar Chapels of Angoumois, like that of Coulonges. Its history is also linked to medieval pilgrimages, the Grand-Madieu being a stage on the road to Santiago de Compostela and Saintes.

Architecturally, the church is distinguished by its facade adorned with a two-roller door decorated with boudins and roses, surrounded by a diamond-pointed cord. Inside, the unique nave, covered with a broken cradle, and the flat bedside pierced with three bays (including an elevated central) recall the Templar construction cannons. Subsequent modifications, such as the walling of the bays for a baroque altar, were partially cancelled during restorations, again revealing medieval frescoes.

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