Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Saint Vincent de Mérignac Church, located on Rue de la Vieille-Église in the city centre, is the oldest remaining civil and religious monument in Mérignac. Built between 1122 and 1131 in rubble, it has a nave ending with a semicircular apse framed with two apsidioles, evoking a transept. The bell tower, in the shape of a square tower, dominates the cross. The apses, arched in cul-de-four and adorned with carved modillons, as well as the western three-piece portal, illustrate Poitevin Romanesque art. Late Gothic additions, such as the north side and a vaulted chapel, complete the building.

The church suffered several vicissitudes: ravaged by a fire during the Fronde (mid-17th century), it was restored at the end of the same century. It remained a place of worship until 1876, when a new neo-Gothic church replaced it. Damaged by lightning in 2001, it is restored again "in the original spirit" and converted into a cultural space. Since 2015, a medieval garden, designed by landscaper Sabine Haristoy, surrounds the monument, mixing vegetable, aromatic and medicinal plants, evoking the underground creek of the Devèze.

Ranked a Historical Monument by decree of 2 July 1987, the church is distinguished by its Romanesque iconography, including its carved modillons. Although disused of worship, it now embodies the historical heritage of Mérignac, while serving as a framework for exhibitions. The new Saint Vincent church, built in the 19th century on Charles de Gaulle Square, is listed in the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage.

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