Church of Saint John the Baptist of La Couronne

There were 2 churches in La Couronne, one an abbey, the other parish. The Saint-Jean Baptiste church preceded the construction of the nearby Notre-Dame de La Couronne abbey.

A first building, smaller, dating from the XNUMXth century precedes the current building built at the very beginning of the XNUMXth century by Lambert, then chaplain of Saint-Jean La Palud.

The extension wanted by Lambert offers beautiful volumes with its long nave of six bays covered with a barrel vault. The transept arms and the choir extend this Latin cross construction. The crossing of the transept is vaulted with a dome on squinches. The influence of Saint-Pierre d'Angoulême cathedral can be seen in the arrangement of its facade with a series of arcades as well as in the sculpted decoration.

A polygonal bell tower topped with a spire with stone scales dominates the ensemble, which ends to the west with a facade with a series of arches whose decor recalls that of Saint-Pierre Cathedral.

Thanks to a major campaign of restoration work carried out by the Companions of Saint-Jacques, the Saint-Jean church has regained its former glory. The meticulous restorations of the vitals and the wall paintings complete the major interest of this church.

Listed as a Historic Monument on September 26, 1903.

Open daily from 9 a.m. to 18 p.m.

Individual visit services

• Unguided individual tours permanently