Saintes - Saint-Eutrope

Little is known about St. Eutropius and nothing of this is certain. He may have been native Persian, a companion of the Three Marys, when they went ashore in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, or a native Greek, send to the Saintonge area by Pope Clement I, some centuries later.

After having baptized Eustelle, the daughter of the local governor, he got martyred. Legends tell, that Eustelle got beheaded and so joined St. Eutropius in death.

The relics of the Saint got buried here. Gregor of Tour knows about pilgrimages to the tomb here already within the 6th century.

When the pilgrimage to Santiago got popular and the Via Turonensis was used by many thousands pilgrims each year, this place was a major halt on the "chemin". A larger church was urgently needed. Cluny took over the small community of monks, that existed here since centuries, as a priory and sent 20 expert monks to start the task in 1081.

They started to built a large crypt, that got consecrated by Pope Urban II already in 1096. The church got completed in the 12th century. Not much is still existing from this church (overground), as the structure got altered many times. The massive Gothic tower, seen here, got financed by Louis XI of France (aka "The Spider") and replaced the Romanesque northern transept in 1496.

After the French Revolution the buildings of the priory and most of the basilica Saint-Eutrope got demolished. The reconstruction of the church started mid 19th century.