Parthenay-le-Vieux - Saint-Pierre

Gédouin and Ebo, Seigneurs of Parthenay, invited the monks from "La Chaise-Dieu" in the Auvergne (some 500kms south east), to establish a priory here in 1092. The parish church, that had existed here already before, got replaced then by the church seen now in the early 11th century. Despite the monks roots in the Auvergne the facade is done in the style, common to the area, so they obviously employed master builders with regional experiences.

Meanwhile the priory is out of existence since centuries. The church and the remaining buildings are privately owned, but the church is not locked! Merci beaucoup!

The right blind arch of the facade.

An equestrian statue.

The Poitou has an astonishing number of these large carvings (eg Melle, Surgeres, Airvolt), that can not found often elsewhere.

On all places, a small person is sitting on the ground and is trampled over. Most historians see Constantine the Great, triumphing over heathenism. Here, the statue has an even more imperial attitude, as the (crowned) rider holds a falcon, a clear attribute of rank and nobility.

The outer archivolt has griffons all around (similar to Sainte-Croix, Parhenay), while the inner archivolt depicts ladies in bathtubes (?), what may connect to another story. Maybe..