Between Poitou and the Saintonge on the way to Santiago de Compostella, the church of St Pierre d’Aulnay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a veritable masterpiece of 12th-century Poitevin Romanesqe Art.

Exceptionally preserved, the church overlooks curious tomb stones and the 14th-century Hosanna cross.

The central portal on the West facade, once surmounted by the equestrian statue of Constantine, is a magnificent illustration of the “sermon saintongeais”: the labours of the twelve months, the parable of the wise and foolish Virgins, the battle between Vice and Virtue and Angels Adoring the Lamb.
The South portal, the jewel of the church, is remarkable for its four ornate archivolts representing the Roman Bestiary, Elders of the Apocalypse, Apostles and Prophets and 6 interweaving mythological creatures.
The chevet has many attractive sculpted modillions while the apse window pillars have a carved motif symbolising the ‘Scala Salutis’ - the Ladder of Salvation.