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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of Saint Martin of Sigogne, classified as a Historical Monument, dates back to the 12th century and belonged to the diocese of Saintes. Its architecture is distinguished by a unique rectangular nave, covered with a broken stone cradle, and a straight bedside. The capitals, adorned with characters and claws, as well as the rib vaults of the square of the transept and the choir, bear witness to an elaborate Romanesque know-how. The western facade features a three-pointed portal in the middle of the wall, decorated with capitals representing fantastic animals and human heads.

Mentioned from the 11th century, the church underwent major restorations between the 15th and 19th centuries, without the exact date being specified. Two documented works campaigns took place in 1877 (by entrepreneur Pierre Ripoche and architect Fouché, both from Jarnac) and in 1888 (by entrepreneur Jean Tournier and architect Priollaud, also from Jarnac). These interventions were designed to restore a building whose architectural history reflects both its medieval origin and its subsequent adaptations.

The church, located at 3 Place de la Mairie in Sigogne (Charente), has been protected since 1957 by an inscription under the title of Historical Monuments. Owned by the commune, it preserves remarkable Romanesque stylistic elements, such as the consoles and pilasters supporting the vaults, as well as sculptural details that make it a precious testimony of 12th century religious art in Poitou-Charentes (now New Aquitaine).

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