Abbey of Sainte-Marie-aux-Dames of Saintes

The foundation was close to the burial place of Saint Palladius, bishop of Saintes, where a first monastery (Saint-Pallais) had been established at the end of the 6th century. That house was lost due to the Norman invasions and was later held by lay hands. The church of “Sancta Maria Rotunda” is also mentioned in this area. When the new Benedictine monastery was founded, it was richly endowed with lands and rights, including the prerogative to mint coins, as well as several churches, such as that of the former Saint-Pallais monastery and its territory, close to the new establishment.

In 1242, following the Battle of Taillebourg, the town of Saintes became a frontier zone facing the English-controlled territories. Later, in 1327, the monastery was affected by the Hundred Years’ War, though the consequences were relatively moderate compared to other sites in the region. In the mid-14th century, it also suffered an outbreak of plague. After these events, the house was restored. In the 16th century, the Wars of Religion brought further damage, especially in 1568, when the abbey was again attacked.

Among the surviving structures, the medieval church stands out, preserving elements of the original 11th-century building, though modified between the 12th and 15th centuries. It is a single-nave church with transept and semicircular apse, topped with two domes. The façade, built during the second quarter of the 12th century, is notable for its sculptural decoration, despite the damage caused by the Huguenots and later 20th-century restorations. The decoration is arranged in two levels, each with three arches, with the central portal as the focal point of the lower tier.