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Romanesque Saintogne
Some regions of France are especially rich in
Romanesque architecture, and the Saintogne is one of the best. As you move out
from Saintes in almost any direction, you are faced with an embarras de
richesses.
Corme Royale (1) has a splendid west doorway whose façade (‘un veritable
triomphe du décor sculpté’) supports a Gothic tower, whilst Echebrune (2) has
another fine west façade, decorated with motifs embracing geometric patterns and
vegetation.
The ground plans of their churches are simple, but the finest works are the decoration of the apses of the neighbours at Rioux (3) and Retaud (4), in what has been called the baroque phase of Romanesque. Rioux additionally has an excellent Virgin and Child in a mandorla on the well-sculpted west façade (5).
Further reading:
F. Eygun, Saintogne Romane, Zodiaque, 2nd edition 1979; T. Droste, La France
Romane, Guide Arthaud, 1989; A. Verassel, Églises romanes: France-Belgique: Le
guide, 1998. ND
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