Pons - Saint-Vivien

A settlement existed on the banks of the river Seugne already in pre-Roman times. The Romans had a "castrum" here and may have built a bridge = pons crossing the river.

Geoffroy III de Pons, Richard Lionheart´s vasall, fortified the town, placed on a limestone plateau over the valley. Down in the valley the construction of Saint-Vivien started in the 12th century. The structure got remodeled, rebuilt and enlarged over the centuries. Seen from this point of view is the large gotic tracery window, that was integrated into the otherwise Romaesque facade within the 15th century.