Church of Saint Pierre of Aulnay — Attraction in Saint-Jean-d'Angély

St.-Pierre in Aulnay was one of those places I always wanted to visit when I saw pictures of it in art history classes. Now an art historian myself, I have been there three times, and I never tire of wandering around the exterior, taking in the incredible Romanesque sculpture through the lens of my camera and with my eyes. The interior of the church is also full of excellent and interesting sculpture (my favorite being the capital near the transept of Samson and Delilah). The best part of Aulnay, though, is that it is not difficult to have the place to yourself for reasonable periods of time. There is nothing like sitting in the nave of this magnificent example of Romanesque architecture and taking in the comforting silence of the place. Each time I have visited, I emerge feeling rejuvenated and at peace. Tour buses will stop and the sanctuary will be invaded with noisy tourists, but they will be gone within ten minutes or so, leaving you alone with your thoughts, a beautiful historical monument, and sometimes a few other like-minded souls, including pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Aulnay is a little out of the way of most tourist routes, but so worth the trip if you are even slightly interested in the history of rural medieval France and of the pilgrimage to Santiago...

Combien aimons-nous à nous rendre dans les églises vides, elles sont remplies de silence… « Le silence est le refuge des faibles et la grandeur des puissants » écrivait le Général ! Ici c’est le Divin qui se conjugue avec un édifice magnifique où le sanctuaire vient d’être rénové. La majestueuse nef est bordée d’un transept où les stations de la passion offrent la plus belle image du pénitent couvert de joie. Cette église romane surprend le voyageur lorsque au frontispice figure sur le côté gauche un Christ tête en bas ! Simplement il s’agit de saint Pierre éponyme de l’église. Enfin et surtout, dans la chapelle à gauche du maître-autel, le matin lorsque la lumière vient de face, la merveilleuse sainte Marie qui semble nous transmettre en Être vivant. Halte des pèlerins de saint Jacques de Compostelle (les authentiques pas les bobos qui commentent : « j’ai fait saint Jacques »), depuis des lustres ; ce monument entouré d’un cimetière est le meilleur accueil que peut recevoir un voyageur observant du sens même des jours, sans...

A beautiful sandstone Romanesque church with a magnificent facade. Currently the steeple and surrounds are being restored (at October 2018). The highlights are the carved sandstone statuary on the facade and on the interior columns. Listed by UNESCO as it was an important stop of the road to Santiago...