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Origin and history

The church Notre-Dame de Salles-lès-Aulnay, located in the commune of Aulnay in Charente-Maritime, is a religious building whose origins date back to the 12th and 15th centuries. It has been a historic monument since October 22, 1913, highlighting its architectural and historical importance in the New Aquitaine region. This monument illustrates the stylistic transitions between the Romanesque and Gothic periods, typical of the religious constructions of this period in southwestern France.

The commune of Aulnay, where this church is located, has a rich history, marked by its role as Gallo-Roman station on the way between Saintes and Poitiers. In the Middle Ages, it was the seat of a seigneury, and its castle, now extinct, showed its strategic importance. The merger in 1973 of Salles-lès-Aulnay with Aulnay definitively incorporated this church into the local heritage.

Notre Dame Church is part of a regional context where religious buildings played a central role in community life. In medieval times, these churches served not only as places of worship, but also as social and economic centres for the surrounding villages. Their construction and maintenance often reflected the power of local lords or religious institutions, such as abbeys or cathedral chapters.

Aulnay, located on one of the roads of Compostela (La Via Turonensis), was a place of passage for pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela. This geographical position may have influenced the architectural and spiritual development of Notre-Dame Church, although the sources do not specify its direct link to this pilgrimage. The region, marked by agricultural landscapes and forests, has also undergone major changes, such as storm Martin in 1999, which devastated part of its natural heritage.

Today, the church of Notre-Dame de Salles-lès-Aulnay remains a symbol of the religious and historical heritage of Charente-Maritime. Its classification among historical monuments and its preservation make it possible to perpetuate the memory of medieval and modern times in this part of New Aquitaine.

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