Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Georges church of Saint-Georges-des-Coteaux, located in the Charente-Maritime department, is a building dating back to the 12th century. Built around a Romanesque nucleus, it underwent major changes between the 12th and 15th centuries, including the addition of a Gothic bell tower and a Western gate. Its 13th century apse, probably never vaulted, and its flat bedside with a Romanesque bay testify to this composite architectural evolution.

In the 15th century, the church was enriched with a staircase to the west of the choir, the oldest part of the building. A funeral chapel was added there around 1659 by Charles Duval, Sieur de Varaise and concierge of the royal prisons of Saintes, to be buried there. The building also houses protected paintings, including a Saint George on horseback and a Sainte-Famille, as well as a 17th century Coronation of Mary, restored and revealing a hidden coat of arms.

Ranked a historic monument in 1909, the church is accompanied by a calvary and a monument to the dead on its southern face. Traces of the old cemetery around it still remain. Its architecture thus combines Romanesque, Gothic and later additions, reflecting rich history and varied uses, from worship to burial of local notables.

The octagonal dome on tubes, located at the cross of the transept, and the protected paintings highlight its heritage importance. The sources also mention its precise location at the Impasse du Presbytere, confirming its anchoring in the historic urban fabric of Saint-Georges-des-Coteaux.

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