Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand & Sainte-Radegonde

Poitiers stands proudly on a rocky plateau above the Clain and Boivre rivers, overlooking a valley spanned by high bridges. The old capital city of the Poitou region, Poitiers is most famous for defending Christianity in the 8th century. In 732, Charles Martel fought a battle near Poitier defeating the Arabs and halting the advance of Islam.

The most important historic monument in Poitiers is the Eglise Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand, a remarkable UNESCO-listed 11th-12th century Romanesque church. The church stands on the burial site of Saint Hilaire (Bishop of Poitier in the 4th century) and contains relics of the Bishop, which made it a pilgrimage destination for the faithful who wished to pay homage to Saint Hilaire. During the Middle Ages, the Church of Saint-Hilaire the Great was an important stop on the “Way of Saint James” pilgrims’ trail to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The most noteworthy aspect of the church’s architecture is its six domed chapels built around the central apse and transept. The church was severely damaged during the French Revolution and restored in the 19th century. To reach the Church of Saint-Hilaire (26 Rue Saint Hilaire), start at the Place du Maréchal-Leclerc, where the 19th-century Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) is located, and continue west along Rue Théophraste-Renaudot and Rue Saint-Hilaire.

After visiting the Church of Saint-Hilaire, walk a few steps away to the Eglise Notre-Dame-la-Grande. This 11th-12th-century church is one of the most richly decorated Romanesque churches in France. Notice the Byzantine-influenced details of the Biblical scenes on the facade and in the colorfully decorated interior. A short walk away (heading towards the river) is the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre. The cathedral is worth seeing for its 13th-century stained-glass windows. South of the cathedral on Rue Jean Jaurès is the Baptistère Saint-Jean, the oldest surviving Christian church in France. Built in 356-368 AD by the order of Saint Hilaire, the church has 6th-century frescoes and houses a Merovingian archaeological museum.

On the east side of the town is the little Eglise Sainte-Radegonde. This church was built in the 11th century on the site of an earlier church, which housed a tomb of the town’s patron saint. The crypt, choir, and west tower date from the 11th century, while the nave and west doorway were constructed from the 13th to the 15th centuries. The ambulatory has beautiful capitals decorated with many figures of people and animals. The crypt contains the 6th-century sarcophagus of Sainte Radegonde, daughter of the pagan King Berthar of Thuringia and wife of the Frankish King Clotaire I.

(source: http://www.planetware.com)