Saint-Léger Church à Champagné-le-Sec dans la Vienne

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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Léger, located in Champagné-le-Sec in Vienna, is a Romanesque religious building built at the end of the 12th century. Its existence from the early Middle Ages was suggested by the sarcophagi discovered in front of its western facade. Originally dependent on the Archpriest of Chaunay, it illustrates Poitevin rural architecture with its unique nave and semicircular apse.

In the 17th century, the southern openings were modified, and a altarpiece was installed, partially masking the apse. The bell tower, added in the 18th century, was initially covered with shingles before being restored in 1885 with a lauze roof, typical of southern Poitou. The building houses 13th, 15th and 16th century murals, restored between 2000 and 2004, representing religious scenes and seigneurial weapons.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1985, the church retains remarkable elements such as its Saintongese capitals, its inner blind arcades and its cul-de-four. The adjacent sacristy, built in the 19th century, was recently destroyed. The successive restorations (1990s for the roof, 2000-2004 for the paintings) preserved its medieval character while adapting the building to modern cultural needs.

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