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Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Radegonde de Poitiers, located between Saint Peter's Cathedral and the Clain River, has its origins in the 6th century. Founded by the Queen of the Radegonde Francs under the name of Sainte-Marie-outside-les-murs, it was renamed after the death of its founder in 587, when his body was buried there. Built outside the Gallo-Roman ramparts for funeral reasons, it became a burial place for the nuns of Saint Croix Abbey, the first female abbey of Gaul founded by Radegonde itself.

The current building is the result of major reconstructions after a fire in 1083. The signing of the new Romanesque building, which remains the bedside and the bell tower, took place in 1099. The nave, in the Plantagenet Gothic style, was added in the 13th century and vaulted in the 14th century. The church, both parish and collegiate, housed a community of canons to watch over the tomb of the saint. Saccagé in 1562 during the Wars of Religion, it was classified as a Historical Monument in 1862.

The bedside, with an angular stiffness announcing Gothic art, contrasts with the hollow arcades of its base. The Romanesque bell tower, with a flamboyant 15th century Gothic portal, preserves 11th century reliefs, including a Christ in Majesty and a crowned female figure, perhaps Radegonde. Inside, the unique nave, inspired by the nearby cathedral, features ivy vaults and a courtyard decorated with carved patterns. The stained glass windows, like the one offered by Alphonse de Poitiers in 1270, illustrate the life of Christ and the miracles of the saint.

The crypt houses the tomb of Radegonde, desecrated in 1562 but restored, where some calcined bones were placed in a box of lead. The statue of the saint, commissioned in 1653 by Anne of Austria in thanksgiving for the healing of Louis XIV, dominates the tomb. The Pas-de-Dieu, a 17th century sculpted group, commemorates the appearance of Christ at Radegonde, leaving a miraculous imprint on a stone. The church, a place of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages, still attracts the faithful thanks to its spiritual and artistic heritage.

The Romanesque choir, with its wandering and radiant chapels, preserves capitals carved from lions and biblical scenes. The 19th century paintings, although criticized for their neo-Gothic style, perpetuate medieval iconography. The 19th century stained glass windows, made by the Lobin workshop, celebrate Radegonde and local saints. The organ, rebuilt after the bombings of 1944, and the three bells, one dating from 1613, complete this exceptional heritage.

The pilgrimage, attested from the 6th century, reached its peak in the 11th–15th centuries, with miracles identified as the healing of Louis XIV. Interrupted at the Revolution, it was restored in the 19th century, enjoining Marian devotion and the worship of relics. Today, the church remains a living witness to the religious and architectural history of the Poitou, between Roman and Gothic, between royalty and spirituality.

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