Romanesque art

In and around the 10th century, Roman architecture stemming from the Christian evolution of the Roman Empire employed new construction techniques, and they are visible in the sanctuaries dotting the road to Santiago de Compostela in the Angoumois, Poitou, Aunis and Saintonge countries.

In the 12th century, sculpture was triumphant; it benefited from limestone's plasticity, and was likewise favored by the peculiar light bathing this part of the French West. The sources of inspiration were multiple: the Orient, Celtic but also barbarian art, and the old and new testaments alike, the biblical evangelists, the Apocalypse…  The renowned mural paintings of Saint-Savin masterfully epitomize the art of the Romanesque fresco. 

The Romanesque edifices illustrate an architecture that is fervent, molded by many influences, full of invention and yet exemplary in its measured nature and overall equilibrium.