Airvault - Saint-Pierre

Saint-Pierre was the church of one of the largest Augustinian abbeys in the Poitou, that was founded in 991 by Audéarde, the wife of viscount Herbert I of Thouars. The monastery was on one of the "chemins" of the Via Turonensis, so when the number of pilgrims increased, the Canons Regular of St. Augustine had this large church erected in two construction phases from the 12th century on. The western facade and the narthex are the youngest parts of the structure.

When the era of the pilgrimage ended, the abbey declined and impoverished during the Hundred Years' War. Most conventual buildings were destroyed in the Wars of Religion. The abbey church now serves the parish.

The 24 "Elders of the Apocalypse" populate the main archivolt. This is the correct number following the Revelation. There are some places in the Saintonge, where the Elders were so popular, that the number got increased. IN Avy are 36, in Saintes even 54 Elders.

The equestrian statue (previous upload) got severely damaged by revolutionary vandals. The Elders shared that fate. Only 4 of the 24 sculptures survived the times undamaged. During a renovation done 2003/2004 the group got reconstructed.