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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-du-Perrot was one of the five churches of La Rochelle, built in the 14th century on a land given by Alienor of Aquitaine to the hospitals of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem. Dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, it was almost entirely destroyed in 1545 by the explosion of a nearby powder shop. Its materials were reused in 1568 to repair the city's fortifications.

The reconstruction did not begin until 1672, with the erection of a temporary bell tower on the foundations of the old. The works were completed in 1699, under the possible direction of the architect Maisonneuve, also involved in the church of Saint-Sauveur. In 1754 the bell tower was rebuilt, perhaps by Gilles Nassivet, municipal architect and parishioner of Saint-Jean-du-Perrot.

Disused in 1887 because of its disrepair, the church was demolished with the exception of the bell tower, restored by the architect Corbineau. The latter, classified as a historical monument in 1925, once housed a rich collection of ex-voto sailors, now transferred to Saint Louis Cathedral. The bishopric of La Rochelle now occupies the former convent of the Lazarists, built at the site of the church.

Saint-Jean-du-Perrot is a true symbol of the maritime heritage of the city. It illustrates the close links between the city, its fortifications and its community of sailors, whose offerings bear witness to the devotion and dangers of the sea.

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