Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Rogatien-Saint-Donatien, located in Saint-Rogatien in Charente-Maritime, is dedicated to the martyrs of Nantes Rogatien and Donatien. Built in the 12th century, it preserves a Romanesque portal adorned with claws faced on its capitals. Partly destroyed during the Wars of Religion, it was restored several times, especially in the 15th or 16th century with the addition of a granite bentier from a tidal measure.

The choir, rebuilt at the end of the Middle Ages, incorporates a trilobed Gothic niche. In 1871, a campanile was added to the façade, housing a new bell. Despite an aborted restoration project in 1884, work was finally carried out in 1987 to consolidate the western part, weakened by the weather. The western façade, classified as a historical monument in 1925, dominates the unique nave building.

The church illustrates the architectural evolution between Romanesque and Gothic, with modern elements such as the bell tower arcade. A communal property, it remains a testimony to the religious and historical transformations of the region, from medieval conflicts to contemporary restorations.

External links