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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Pierre de Cozes, located in the Charente-Maritime department, is originally a possession of the Augustinian abbey Saint-Étienne de Mortagne, now extinct. Built from the 13th century, it was enlarged in the 14th century by a flat bedside pierced by a triplet, then equipped with an octagonal bell tower in the 15th century. The latter housed seven bells, confiscated in 1548 during the repression of the Pitauds' jacquerie, after the inhabitants rang the tocsin. The vaults of the nave, collapsed in 1756, were reconstructed summarily in the 19th century, while the facade was rebuilt in a neo-classical style.

The church's furniture reflects several epochs, with an eighteenth-century pulpit, originally intended for the church of Sainte-Colombe de Saintes, then acquired by the parish priest of Cozes. The stained glass windows, restored in 2000, and an access ramp for the disabled, testify to its continuous maintenance. Until 1862, the church was surrounded by a cemetery, moved to give way to a wooded area. In 1877, five new bells, melted by Guillaume d'Angers, were installed, forming an exceptional sound ensemble.

In 2018, the building, suffering from subsidence and infiltration, was closed for work estimated at 2.5 million euros. In 2020, it was selected from the sites supported by the Heritage Lotto, receiving 140,000 euros for its restoration. The church preserves medieval capitals and exterior decorative elements, such as a frieze evoking the fable Le Renard and the Cigogne d'Esope. Enlisted for historical monuments in 1925, it illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of the region.

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