THE CHURCH OF ST. ETIENNE
A medieval church classified as a historical monument with a remarkable century stained glass window in Coulonges-sur-l'Autize.
The church of Saint-Etienne de Coulonges-sur-l'Autize (formerly Coulonges-les-Royaux, priory of the Abbey of Nieul-sur-l'Autize) stands out because it belongs to the impulses of the Middle Ages. The oldest part of the church dates from the 12th century. With a cruciform plan, the building then consists of a nave with three bays (covered with a barrel vault), a transept and a choir with straight bays, ended by a semicircular apse. The interior is very sober. The decoration is applied to the capitals of the columns, sculpted with plant motifs, and to the keystones. As in the church of Saint-Pompain, the nave's drip wall is reinforced by a series of arches on the wall. The walls of the right bay of the choir bear the trace of curved geminated bays. Now walled, they illuminated the Romanesque sanctuary. There is also a very beautiful 19th century stained glass window representing the judgment of Saint-Etienne and an old Way of the Cross with 14 paintings (stations) from 1853 (in terracotta). This building has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1980.
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