THE CHURCH OF ST. PHILBERT

Facing the former entrance to the castle, now walled, the church of Saint-Philbert was built at the end of the 11th century on the foundations of the former Benedictine abbey church, in Romanesque style in the choir and Gothic in the nave. The neo-Romanesque bell tower, inspired by that of Tournus where the body of Saint Philbert lies, was built in 1875 to replace the old bell tower destroyed by fire in 1843. Under the choir, the crypt, listed as a historical monument, is the only vestige of the monastery founded by the monk Saint Philbert (who created the foundations of the island's economy) around 674. In the centre, an impressive empty tomb, built after the body of Saint Philbert was transported to Tournus during the Norman invasions in the 9th century. The stained glass windows, from the beginning of the 20th century, give rhythm to the history of Philbert: on the north side, the old abbey, the castle, the arms of the abbey, the cave where Philbert liked to retire; on the south side, four abbeys linked to the saint: Jumièges, Déas (Saint-Philbert-de-Grandlieu), Cunault and Tournus. In the church are exposed two altarpieces of the 17th century. The altarpiece of the Rosary (south transept) is the most richly decorated with garlands of roses and suns carved in stone. In the north transept, the altarpiece of Saint Anne is more sober. Also to be seen is a painting of the Miraculous Fishing donated by Napoleon III and a model of a frigate by Lieutenant Jacobsen. Another historical fact: in 1794, the church was used as a prison for the 1,500 Vendeans massacred during the Vendée wars.