St-Pierre, Romanesque church in Chauvigny, France

St-Pierre is a Romanesque church in the upper town of Chauvigny, in the Vienne department of France. Its five-bay nave is flanked by side aisles, and the choir opens onto three rounded chapels topped by octagonal domes.

A chapter of ten canons is documented here in the first quarter of the 11th century, and carved stones from that earlier building were reused in the present chevet. The church was founded by the lords of Chauvigny and built from the late 11th century, starting with the apse, with the nave completed in the 12th century. It was damaged in 1569 during the Wars of Religion and in 1652 during the Fronde, restored in the 19th century, and classified as a monument historique in 1846.

The choir capitals display intricately carved scenes and figures from medieval visual traditions. These carvings tell of the artistic skill of the craftspeople who created them.

The church sits in the upper town of Chauvigny among other medieval buildings, so it is easy to visit alongside the rest of the hilltop site. Guided tours are available in season for those who want a closer look at the stonework.

The carved capitals in the choir show demons, fantastical creatures, and angels packed together with a detail that is rare even for Romanesque churches of this region. Some figures are so unusual that scholars still debate what they were meant to represent.