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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint Martin de Louzac, located in the village of Louzac-Saint-André (Charente, Nouvelle-Aquitaine), is a religious building of Romanesque origin built at the end of the 12th century. It was partially rebuilt after a fire, with elements such as the bell tower and the 16th century portal. Its architecture combines a vaulted nave in segmental arch, a dome on pendants under the bell tower, and a lateral chapel with dogive vaults. The portal's capitals, carved with vegetal motifs, as well as the facade models, illustrate local Romanesque art. The church was restored several times in the 19th century (1858, 1878, 1892), especially to vault the brick nave and consolidate the bell tower.

The church walls house between 500 and 1000 graffiti, dating from the 12th to the 19th century. Made by artisans, pilgrims of Santiago de Compostela (the church being on a secondary route) and faithful, these drawings represent mainly crosses, but also hands, shells, antelots or figures of pilgrims. The bell of 1607, classified as a historical monument, bears witness to the parish life of Ancien Régime. The building, owned by the municipality, has been listed as a historical monument since 1991, and is fully protected in 2012.

Historically, the church depended on Jarnac's priesthood and was linked to the cathedral chapter of Saints by perpetual vicary. Its furniture and architecture reflect liturgical and artistic developments, from Romanesque origins to Gothic additions (North Chapter in the 14th to 15th centuries) and modern restorations. The graffiti, studied by GRAHT (Groupe de Recherches Archéologies et Historiques Tolvère), offer a rare overview of the devout and artisanal practices throughout the centuries.

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