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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Vivian de Saintes rises at the presumed place of the burial of Bishop Vivien, who died around 460 and later canonized. In the sixth century Bishop Eusebius undertook to rebuild the funeral basilica, but his death interrupted the work. His successor, Emerius, requested the financial assistance of the bishop of Bordeaux, Saint Léonce le Jeune, whose wife, Placidine, a wealthy princess, contributed to the financing. The medieval building, destroyed by Calvinists in the 16th century, was rebuilt in 1617 and demolished in 1840 because of its old state.

The current neo-classical church inspired by the Paleo-Christian basilicas was built between 1840 and 1845 by architect Antoine Brossard. It consists of a nave of four vaulted bays in cradle, extended by an apse in hemicycle, and is decorated with frescoes and stained glass made by Dagrand around 1890. The furniture includes a table and a 17th century tabernacle, from the old church, as well as a carved wooden pulpit. The facade, of classical inspiration, is surmounted by a steep bell tower.

The church houses a ringing of three bells, melted in 1844 and 1892, forming an agreement of Sol Maggiore. Since 2016, it has also hosted Romanian Orthodox offices. Classified as an additional inventory of historical monuments in 1993, it bears witness to a rich religious history, marked by successive reconstructions and a dual contemporary cult vocation.

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