Centre des monuments nationaux

Come and discover the remains of Charroux abbey, a major example of Benedictine architecture on the border of the Poitou and the Limousin regions between Niort and Limoges.

Visiting Charroux abbey 

• Remains of the Romanesque abbey. The imposing abbey church was built in the 11th century. Its architecture is in the Carolingian style and it is dedicated to the Holy Saviour. The church is 126 metres long and laid out around a rotunda with three ambulatories around the Lantern tower which still stands today, though 19th century-houses now obscure the Romanesque nave. 

• Gothic sculptures and treasury. Sculptures from the Gothic portal which was added to the Romanesque frontage in the 13th century are now housed in the chapter house that was rebuilt in the 15th century. Other sculptures from the portal together with the treasury are on display in another room in the abbey building, including a magnificent angel reliquary decorated with the arms of Blanche of Castile.

Understanding Charroux abbey 

• A powerful abbey. The abbey was founded at the end of the 8th century by Roger, Count of Limoges, and was protected by Charlemagne. A relic of the True Cross drew pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. It was a rich abbey thanks to numerous donations; some of its possessions lay a long way off and its power and influence extended as far as Flanders. 

• Spiritual and social influence. Five church councils were held at the abbey between the 10th and 12th centuries. The most important of these was in the council of 989 which launched the spiritual and social movement known as the ‘Peace of God' that lay the moral bases for Western medieval society.