Église Saint-Léger de Cognac, Romanesque church in Cognac, France

The église Saint-Léger is a church in central Cognac whose parts date from the 12th to the 19th century. Its west facade, about twelve metres wide, has a four-arch portal whose outer archivolt shows the zodiac signs and the labours of the months. The bell tower, from the second half of the 12th century, stands on the north side, not at the west end.

A wooden church of the 11th century, built by Benedictine monks of Ébreuil, preceded the present building, begun around 1130 as a priory church. The transept and choir were rebuilt in the 13th century, rib vaults replaced the original domes in the 14th, and Jean d'Orléans gave the flamboyant rose window in 1440. From 1598 to 1622 it served as a Protestant temple; Paul Abadie restored it between 1845 and 1860, and it was classified a monument historique on 28 May 1883.

The zodiac cycle carved on the outer archivolt of the west portal pairs each sign with the month's labour: a man pruning vines for Aries, a woman washing linen for Leo, a vintner harvesting for Libra. Cancer appears as a turtle and Sagittarius as a cat, and the two signs are swapped, a puzzle no source explains. A scallop shell between them marks the church as a stop on a secondary route to Santiago de Compostela.

The church is located on rue Aristide-Briand in the heart of Cognac's old town and is easily accessible on foot. Visitors should plan to arrive during regular opening hours, keeping in mind that religious services may occasionally limit access.

The outer archivolt of the west portal carries the twelve signs of the zodiac with the labours of each month, and two are swapped: Sagittarius and Scorpio appear in reversed order, an error no source explains. Cancer is carved as a turtle and Sagittarius as a cat, possibly marks of travelling journeymen. A scallop shell between them points to the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, which passes away from Cognac.