Saint-Maixent-l’École - Abbatiale

Within the 5th century some Agapit founded an oratorium here under the name of "Saint Saturnin". He was joined by Adjutor, who later changed his name to Maixent (and got canonized). Since then the place bears his name.

The monastery prospered thanks to donations of the merovingian dynasty and around 650, Saint Leodegar of Poitiers (aka "Léger d'Autun") started his career here as abbot. He came from a noble family (son of Saint Sigrada, brother of Saint Warinus, uncle of Saint Leudwinus). Later Leodegar played an important part in the struggle between Neustria and Austrasia. He got exiled, blinded and murdered by his Frankish opponents in 679.


The Norman raids forced the monks to leave the abbey for some decades, but finally they return with the relics of Saint Maixent and Saint Leodegar. A church was erected here in the 940s. In 1059 an earthquake destroyed that structure and a Romanesque church was built between the 11th and 13th century. This got devasted in 1568, when during the Wars of Religion Calvinists undermined the walls and so let the church collapse.

When the dust had settled and the pile of rubble was sorted, a Gothic church was erected on the Romanesque foundations and obviously some Romanesque carvings, found in the rubble, got reused.

One is this Romanesque capital, depicting two mermaids. As only the right one has scales, detailled fins and "combed" hair, the artist may not have completed his work.