Église paroissiale Saint-Pierre, Royan

The church of Saint Pierre de Royan is the seat of one of the five Catholic parishes of the city of Royan, in the Charente-Maritime department. Founded in the 11th century, it is the oldest monument in the city. It is classified as a historical monument since 1928.

Founded in the 11th century, the church of St. Peter is the oldest monument in the city. The original sanctuary seems to have been much larger than the present building, and numerous modifications or destructions have considerably altered its appearance over the centuries.

From the 13th century, the Romanesque apse was replaced by a flat chevet. The southern arm of the transept, built on a crypt used as an ossuary, retains a rectangular apsidal chapel, and serves as the base for a square Romanesque bell tower, heightened in 1729 by the engineer Barrelier de Bitry, in order to serve as a bitter. On the other hand, the northern arm of the transept was considerably modified in the 16th century, to form a chapel with an ogival vault which contrasts with the rest of the building.

During the Wars of Religion, a large part of the nave was demolished, as well as a cloister and part of the buildings of the former priory, which were attached to the north wall of the church. The present nave is now a single bay.

Listed as a historical monument since 1928, the building was severely damaged by the bombing of 1945, losing part of its vaults, but a restoration campaign carried out at the time of the reconstruction of the city has preserved the essence of the church. The facade, very sober, dates from this period.