The Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay church has regained its former glory

The Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay church has been undergoing restoration for many years. On Saturday, the completion of this work was celebrated.

Listed as a historic monument in 1840 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, the Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay church is a masterpiece of Romanesque art (*). In the 1980s, in an interview with the writer Marguerite Duras, François Mitterrand, then President of the Republic, considered: "Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay is worth the Greek temples."

On Saturday, authorities inaugurated the restoration of the church, whose construction began in the ^12th century. The funders (the state represented by Prefect Brice Blondel, the region, the department, and the municipality) were present to admire this church, which, according to experts, is even more beautiful than its original. Nearly 2 million euros were needed to give this church a facelift.

"I would like to congratulate all the craftsmen, workers, and project managers who worked with their hands. Like the first builders, the gesture of the hand was essential. Most of the work was carried out with tools that have been known for a long time: the brush, the chisel, the trowel, or paintbrushes. Of course, technology and progress were not overlooked, and it is very fortunate that scaffolding, cradles, and electricity were able to support, ease, and secure the work of the workers," declared Stéphane Chedouteaud, Mayor of Aulnay and Vice-President of the Departmental Council.

The work (which involved both the interior and exterior of the building) was overseen by Philippe Villeneuve, chief architect of the Bâtiments de France. A well-known media figure (he notably oversaw the reconstruction work of Notre Dame de Paris and that of the town hall of La Rochelle), the architect shared his emotion upon discovering the restored church: "It is indeed moving to be here, this operation began in 1997. I am touched because here we fully feel the accumulation of lives of the builders but also all those who have frequented this place. In such a place, one must necessarily remain humble..."

For Philippe Villeneuve, who, as usual, delivered a few humorous sallies, this was also one of the last projects he was responsible for with another architect: Claudia Dévescovi. Madly in love with Notre-Dame de Paris, he even had it tattooed on his body, and he revealed that he had no representation of the Aulnay church on his anatomy! Now adorned with its finest finery, the Saintonge church can be explored alone or on a guided tour.

For more information 05 54 67 13 28.

(*) Rémy Prin and Christian Garnier have just published "Aulnay, d'images et de paroles", published by Éditions Parole et Patrimoine. This book (288 pages, 190 photos) is on sale for 37 euros on the website www.parole-et-patrimoine.org.