Poitiers, Charente 86000

A renovated listed church and its 5, 000 m of grounds in a village 15 minutes from Poitiers. The church, designated 'basilica', stands out for its prominent position in the village. An avenue of plane trees marks the entrance to the grounds surrounding the edifice. Built of rendered limestone between 1884 and 1889, the church reflects the Medieval Revival architecture and other eclectic elements of a period marked by the influence of Viollet-le-Duc. It has a groundplan in the form of a Latin cross with a single nave. Its bell tower-porch, designed by the architect Alcide Boutaud, has an unfinished facade, known as a 'bonding facade', which lends it an almost Romanesque style, even though the structure adopts Gothic architectural references. Two metal spiral staircases flank the entrance and lead up to a balcony, where a large pointed-arch opening with double-glazing provides access to a fully restored organ. On either side of the nave, large galleries form a cloister which links the doorways to the chapels. Their entrances are embellished by two pointed arches and two attached pilasters. These galleries have been double-glazed and fitted with new-generation radiators. The entire basilica, including the sacristy, was included in the French National Heritage List by decree on 4 January 2011.