Église Notre-Dame de Rioux, church located in Charente-Maritime, in France
Église Notre-Dame de Rioux is a stone church built in the 12th century in Romanesque style, featuring a barrel vault and a richly decorated facade with sculptural details. The interior contains a nave with side chapels, an ornate apse with five sections, and capitals carved with various motifs including animals and human figures.
The church was built in the 12th century on an earlier sacred site and represents one of the oldest structures in the region. The 13th century brought structural reinforcements, the 15th century added a porch, the 19th century saw vault renewal and a new bell, and it was designated a historical monument in 1903.
The church served as a stopping point for pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Compostela, as shown by the scallop shell motifs decorating the apse. These symbols still reflect its importance as a place where travelers paused to pray and find shelter.
Start by viewing the carved details on the facade and then enter to see the barrel vault and side chapels at your own pace. Walking around the exterior allows you to observe the five-section apse and decorative moldings from different angles, with adequate space to move freely around the building.
Excavations in 1939 revealed an ancient ossuary beneath the south chapel filled with bones, suggesting an earlier shrine or crypt that had been sealed. This hidden underground space hints at the site's deeper past as a place of pilgrimage and spiritual significance.
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