Vieille église de Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, Inscribed Romanesque church in Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, France

The Old Church of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer is a 12th-century Romanesque building reduced to its choir and hemicylindrical apse after the Religious Wars. The apse is lit by three deep-embrasure bays framed by small columns with plain capitals, and its rounded roofline carries a row of arcaded corbels. A square ashlar bell tower rises beside it, pierced by a narrow arched window and a small rectangular opening near the top.

Built in the 12th century as the parish church, it lost its nave, both arms of the transept and part of its bell tower during the Wars of Religion. Closed for worship in 1793, it was handed to the ponts et chaussées administration, which raised part of the bell tower so it could serve as a landmark for navigation. Returned to worship in 1853, it remained the parish church until the new Saint-Pallais church was built, then stood abandoned until restoration between 1994 and 1997.

The church kept its role as the parish church of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer until the end of the 19th century, when the new Saint-Pallais church replaced it. Closed for worship in 1793, it was handed to the ponts et chaussées administration, which used the raised bell tower as a seamark. It was returned to the faithful in 1853.

The monument sits in the town center of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer and is easy to reach on foot. It underwent thorough restoration work between 1994 and 1997, making the remaining sections accessible and safe for visitors to explore.

In 1793 the church was closed for worship and handed to the Ponts et Chaussées, the bridges-and-roads administration, which raised part of the bell tower so it could serve as an amer, a coastal landmark for navigation. From the top, the view reaches the Royan conurbation, the Gironde estuary, the Médoc coast and the Cordouan lighthouse.