Initial construction XIIe siècle (≈ 1250)
Romanesque origin: facade, nave, span under bell tower.
XIVe siècle
Rebuilding the choir
Rebuilding the choir XIVe siècle (≈ 1450)
Addition of Gothic elements to the vault.
XVe siècle
Expansion of the transept
Expansion of the transept XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Side hats added to the cruise.
1775
Encryption
Encryption 1775 (≈ 1775)
Disappeared from the crypt under the south crusillon.
1925
First MH protection
First MH protection 1925 (≈ 1925)
Registration of the western facade.
2000
Total protection
Total protection 2000 (≈ 2000)
Complete classification of the building.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Western Facade: Registration by Order of 23 February 1925 - Unprotected parties (Box AB 232): registration by order of 5 December 2000
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
The source text does not mention any specific historical actors related to this monument.
Origin and history
The church Saint-Pierre de Lorignac, located in the Charente-Maritime department, is a Catholic building built in the 12th century. It illustrates a mixture of architectural periods: Romanesque for its facade, nave and span under bell tower, Gothic for its choir rebuilt in the 14th century and its chapels added in the 15th century. A crypt under the southern crusillon, filled in 1775, bears witness to its structural evolution. The 19th century restoration campaigns completed its present appearance, while preserving medieval elements such as carved capitals, partially mutilated by iconoclasts.
The western facade, classified as a historical monument since 1925, is distinguished by three ornamented levels: a geometrical portal topped by a nude atlante, archatures resting on columns with plant capitals, and a cornice with modillons. Of these, only two remain identifiable – a monster's head and a copulation scene – while the historical capitals depict moral themes, such as lavarice or lust. The southern capital of the portal includes a miser, an evil being, a woman engulfing a monster, and a handing over of keys to Saint Peter, symbolizing warnings against capital sins.
The building, which has been listed as a historical monument since 2000, also retains traces of its 14th century Gothic vault in the south arm, formerly called the Chapel of Santiago. The mutilations of sculptures, such as Adam and Eve on the Tree of Knowledge, reflect interventions motivated by prudence or iconoclasm. These details, coupled with the typical regional modillons (Aquitaine, Poitou-Charentes), underline its anchor in the local Romanesque heritage.
Owned by the municipality of Lorignac, the church today embodies a remarkable architectural and religious heritage, where almost nine centuries of history overlap, from Romanesque origins to modern restorations. Its exact address, 5 Rue du Dalot, and its Insee code (17210) place it precisely in the heritage landscape of New Aquitaine.
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