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Origin and history

The Saint-Médard church, nicknamed Saint-Médard-des-Champs, found its origins in the 10th century, although its first written mention dates from 988 via a donation from Countess Aldegarde of Angoulême. Originally located outside the walls of Thouars, it served as a parish for the inhabitants of the surrounding hamlets. In 1158, the building was partially destroyed during the capture of the city by Henry II Plantagenet, who financed its reconstruction between 1170 and 1180. Today only elements of the 12th century remain: the north and west gates, as well as the lower parts of the side walls.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the church underwent major changes: the three naves were merged into a single central space, roses and two chapels (including the Three Marys, built in 1480) were added, and the square bell tower was built. In the 16th century, stalls of traders (including fishmen) stowed at the gate, damaging the building until its destruction in 1866. The desecrated cemetery was reduced in 1691 and abandoned in 1747.

The 19th century marked a revival with a restoration program led by architect Daviaud (1870). Ranked a Historic Monument in 1909, the church saw its roof finished in 1920, but the arrow planned for the bell tower will never be installed. In the 20th century, renovations (biominalization, contemporary stained glass windows replacing those destroyed in 1944) preserved the building, of which no original stained glass remains.

Architecturally, Saint-Médard illustrates the Poitevin Romanesque style, with a facade comparable to that of the Abbey of Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes. Its richly carved west portal (Twelve Apostles, Ascension of Christ), and its north portal with Mozarab polylobic arch, make it a hybrid testimony of medieval influences. The side chapels (Saint-Louis, built in 1510 by Gabrielle de Bourbon) and the foothills of the 15th century complete this ensemble.

The excavations revealed traces of occupation as early as the 9th century (currency of Louis the Pious in sarcophagus), but without any proven connection with the church. Under the authority of the Abbey of Saint John of Bonneval (confirmed by a pontifical bubble of 1169), it embodies the religious and urban history of Thouars, between destructions, reconstructions and adaptations to community needs.

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