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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul d'Ingrandes-sur-Vienne Church, listed as a Historic Monument in 1910, is an emblematic building of Poitevin religious heritage. Built mainly in the 12th century, it retains pre-Roman elements of the 10th century, such as the northern wall and the façade, reused during its reconstruction. Its settlement along an ancient Roman way, which became the path of Santiago de Compostela, made it a place of passage and architectural enrichment in the Middle Ages. The exterior restorations (nef, bedside, transept) planned for 2012–2013 were intended to preserve this heritage threatened by its modern environment (near the National Highway 10).

The church illustrates a superimposition of styles: the Romanesque nave of the 12th century, with its broken cradle vaults and its carved capitals (like that of the lavare held by a demon), coexists with Gothic additions (southern gate, chapels of the 15th and 17th centuries). The 19th-century square bell tower, with ground twin bays, replaces an older structure, while the choir and the abside, rebuilt in 1872, house windows of the Lobin workshops. These stained glass windows, offered in 1873, represent St Peter and St Paul, patrons of the church, around a Christ in Majesty with spouting wounds, a rare iconographic theme.

The furniture bears witness to the local devotion: a 16th-century Virgin to the Child, polychrome plaster statues (XIX-XX century), and a wooden Christ of the 17th-XVIII century, with painful features. The benigners, including an eight-lined octagonal probably Romanesque, recall baptismal symbolism. The southern chapel, dedicated to St.Andre, was built in 1460 for Gallehault d'Alloigny, the chamberlain of Louis XI, while the northern chapel (17th century) housed a seigneurial liter. Baptismal fonts, protected by a grid, and a 15th century swimming pool complete this set.

The church's history is marked by widespread construction campaigns, reflecting its evolution: Romanesque recaptures on the nave, late strengthening of the bell tower's support, and partial destruction of the stained glass windows during the 1944 bombings. Its classification in 1910 underlines its heritage importance, despite an unfavourable contemporary environment (pollution, noise). The municipality has worked on its development, as evidenced by the removal of adventitious buildings and the redevelopment of the surrounding areas.

Architecturally, the church combines various techniques: octagonal dome with uneven faces under the bell tower, Romanesque arches, and Gothic vaults in chapels. The opus reticulatum wall obstructing a northern arcade recalls Gallo-Roman influences, while the light tufted apparatus of pre-Roman walls (X century) contrasts with the Romanesque foothills. These elements make Ingrandes-sur-Vienna a rare example of constructive continuity, from the early Middle Ages to the modern era.

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