Église Saint-Gilles de Saint-Gilles-sur-Vie, Listed historical monument in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, France.
Église Saint-Gilles is a stone church rebuilt in 1883, with a tall slate-covered spire and two gabled facades of rough light-colored masonry. Each facade has a tall pointed-arch window with stone tracery; the right one also has a small rose window above. A wooden door with a rounded arch sits below a small stone frame.
A first fortified church was built in the 9th century for the monks of Saint-Michel-en-l'Herm or Saint-Gilles-du-Gard. The Wars of Religion destroyed it except for the bell tower and the right side of the nave; these were listed as monuments historiques on 29 October 1926. The church was rebuilt in 1883, then restored in 1903 and 1977.
The north aisle holds a 17th-century stained-glass window showing Louis XIII's victory over Benjamin de Rohan de Soubise's army near Saint-Gilles on 16 April 1622, a battle of the Wars of Religion fought in the Vendée marshes. Classified in 1927, it was later declassified.
The church is located at Place Guy Kergoustin and is easily accessible on foot. It is open most days, particularly during the regular religious services held by the local Catholic community.
The Stations of the Cross feature 14 paintings and a lava slab fresco created in 1979 by local artist Henry Simon. This modern artwork adds a contemporary dimension to the interior of the historic building.
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