Église Saint-Nicolas de Civray, Romanesque church in Civray, France

Église Saint-Nicolas de Civray is a Romanesque church featuring a rectangular facade decorated with sculptural relief across two tiers of three arches on each side. Matching bell towers frame the corners, though these were constructed later in the 19th century.

Written records of the construction are lost; stylistic analysis dates the Romanesque church to the 12th century. It belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Junien in Nouaillé, about 45 km north, and was dedicated to Saint Nicholas. It was listed as a monument historique in 1840. In 1842–43 the entire facade was dismantled stone by stone, causing the first nave bay to collapse; the corner turrets and the tympanum were added during this restoration.

The carved figures on the facade tell biblical stories through images of Christ and the Evangelists, as well as scenes of Saint Nicolas helping those in need. These sculptures served to teach religious stories to people who could not read.

The church is situated in the town center at Place Leclerc and is easily reached on foot from most parts of Civray. The interior can be dim, so plan your visit for brighter times of day to see the decorations and old frescoes clearly.

In 1847 medieval frescoes telling the life of Saint Giles were found in the south transept, not the right one. Much of the church's interior painting, however, dates from 1865 and was made by Amédée Brouillet, who took Notre-Dame-la-Grande in Poitiers as his model.