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Origin and history

The Sainte-Radegonde church of Theil-Rabier, located in the diocese of Poitiers, has two distinct periods of architecture. The bedside, probably built in the 12th century, bears witness to a Romanesque style, while the façade, decorated with a Gothic portal, probably dates from the 13th century. This stylistic shift illustrates the evolution of architectural techniques between these two centuries. The reinforcement system under the old bell tower, located between the choir and the nave, seems to date from the end of the Gothic period, suggesting further consolidation work.

The current bell tower, a simple campanile, could go back to the period after the wars of Religion (XVI century), although this dating remains hypothetical. In 1865, the building underwent a major restoration: a stand was added, and the existing brick and plaster vault could date back to that time. The church's plan, devoid of sideways, includes a nave of two spans, a false square and a round apse without absidiole. The lateral walls were reassembled, and most of the openings modified, with the exception of the one to the north, in the second span of the nave.

Listed among the Historical Monuments since 1986, the church of Sainte-Radegonde now depends on the municipality of Theil-Rabier. Its inclusion in the supplementary inventory of Historic Monuments (Decree of 31 December 1986) underlines its heritage importance. Although its state of conservation and accessibility are not specified, its hybrid architecture – combining Roman and Gothic – makes it a remarkable testimony to local religious history.

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