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Origin and history

The ossuary of Châteauneuf-sur-Charente is a central plan building, currently buried, located at the northwest end of the cemetery. Its dome, in limestone, carved in the Romanesque style, falls on a moulure bandeau. A clogged oculus in the vault suggests that it was once semi-entered. Four semi-circle niches pierce the walls at ground level, while the soil itself consists of rock. This building would have served as an ossuary by the end of the Middle Ages, although its initial function remains uncertain.

The site would contain Gallo-Roman remains, indicating an ancient occupation of the site. Lossuary, cleared in 1906, was classified as Historic Monument by order of 13 August 1990. Its precise location is estimated as "passable" (note 5/10), and it is now owned by the municipality. The vault and niches, typical of Romanesque architecture, evoke a link with the nearby Romanesque church, although its original use is not formally attested.

The structure, with its dome and niches, could have had a funeral vocation since its construction in the 12th century, or have been reassigned later. The 1906 excavations did not make it possible to decide on this point. The monument illustrates medieval burial management practices, where the ossuary was used to group human remains after decomposition, thus freeing space in overcrowded cemeteries.

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