Surgères - Notre-Dame

Approaching Notre-Dame in Surgères, erected in the center of a large castle in the 12th century. The fortification, founded in the 9th century as a motte, when the area was raided by the Vikings, then guarded the border of the historical province of Aunis once. When the church was built a small town had developed around the defence already.

This was a halt on the Via Turonensis, the pilgrims had a lot to gape here, the facade, seen behind the trees, is stunning 23 meters wide. Centuries later Prosper Mérimée was so impressed that in 1841 he described this as the most beautiful facade, he found in the Saintonge.