Fenioux - Notre-Dame de l’Assomption

Fenioux, a small village with a population of less than 200, has this wonderful parish church "Notre-Dame de l’Assomption". Once the church was dedicated to "Saint-Savinien" and "Saint Pierre". It was built in the 12th century, about the same time, when Aulnay (27kms northeast) was under construction.

The church was erected over a Carolingian oratory from the 9th century, of which some parts were integrated into the new building - and so still exist around the choir. The two portals are stunning. The smaller northern one is masterly carved in the "style saintongue", but may not be a surprise, but the large, western one, with its five archivolts is breathtaking. Though vandalized during the Wars of Religion and the French Revolution, when many sculptures here lost their heads, this is still extraordenary.

The bell-tower stands next to the nave like an Italian "campanile". The tower was restored in the 19th century by disputed Paul Abadie (see "Aulnay") - and now may look a bit too elegant.

Saint-Jean-d'Angély, where Louis the Pious´ son Pepin I of Aquitaine had founded the "Abbaye Royale" (817), is just about 10kms away. This was a really important abbey during the "Romanesque time", but I could not find any connections in the literature.