st-hilaire

It is worth the effort to find your way to this hidden treasure. The sense of space and light which unfolds when entering this ancient Church has to be seen to be appreciated. I have paid numerous visits and have always found something new.

Beautiful church, well maintained and restored. Watch some of the steps, not well marked. Great Stained glass windows.

The church of St. Hilaire is one of the most important monuments in Poitiers for a number of reasons. First of all, it retains a good deal of it's 11th century construction and sculpture. This is unusual in French cities, where the rise of Gothic architecture tended to result in the tearing down of Romanesque churches in favor of the elegant new trends of the 13th century on. The current incarnation was built with a timber roof, but when that was replaced with stone vaulting, the nave was found to be too wide to support the weight of the stone above, so some innovative measures were taken in the form of an extra row of piers on each side of the nave to help lessen the span to be supported by the exterior buttresses. The scale of the church is massive, not necessarily in height, but in the volume of the building. Walk slowly down an aisle on one side, traverse the chevet slowly, marvel at the changing light, the 11th and 12th century carvings on the capitals and interior corbels, the remnants of Romanesque frescoes, and try to imagine how a rural medieval pilgrim would have reacted to a structure of this magnitude. You can easily spend an hour or more soaking up the peaceful ambience of the place.Another point of interest about this structure is the fact that part of the west end is missing, as this building was partially destroyed in quarrying activity following the French Revolution. Much of the vaulting in the nave and the western façade were rebuilt during the late-19th century reconstruction boom led by such people as Violet le Duc and Joly Laterne. However, the building is NOT from the 19th century, as another reviewer has stated. St. Hilaire is a remarkable example of 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture that, despite the relatively small areas of 19th-century reconstruction, is remarkably well preserved. It sits atop the central butte of Poitiers, some distance from the Centre Ville, but it is well worth the hike to get there. It is one of the places I visit every time I am in Poitiers.

A really beautiful building, one of many in the city. No guides in English, but it is possible to understand a good portion of the guides in French.

This very old church is full of history and an important stop-over for the pilgrims walking down to Santiago de Compostella.

Not as old as we were expecting, c1800's, but nice all the same. Plenty of little streets to wander around. Watch out for the French drivers as it is not a precinct

Apart from the curious composition of the nave (cupolas) and the aisles the church has some nicely sculptured capitals. Furthermore some remnants of XIIth century fresco's in the apse. Don't forget to visit the other churches of Poitiers : Baptistère Saint-Jean, Sainte-Radegonde, the cathedral and Saint-Jean de Montierneuf.

France is to be underlined for the architecture of religious edifices, consecrated or not. The St. Hilaire is isolated and one of the 5 excellent structures that the town has to offer. Palimpsest multi-level observations in terms of the painting applications. Initial structure of mid. 11th century consecrated not long after that and modified repeatedly. Iconography, radieuse structure and total setting of major significance. Carries the romanesque banner.

The history, architecture, beauty of the church building seem to be equalled by the life of St. Hillaire. The adjoining park and sunset views just add to the beauty of the church.

An interesting village, will definately go back for a visit. Wish I had had more time for a visit. I will go back soon.

C'est une superbe église qui me semble très atypique par sa forme, l'intérieur comme l'extérieur est superbe !

Construída num cenario encantador, ao lado do rio! Observe sua fachada, muito bonita mesmo! A fachada Tem uma estátua equestre montada pelo imperador Constantino.

Tout le contraire de Sainte Marie la grande, cette église est extraordinairement lumineuse, parfaite pour éclairer les pélerins de Saint Jacques... à voir au matin un jour ensoleillé.

Surtout à ne pas rater! Magnifique édifice qui semble enterré, à côté d'un petit parc. Cette église propose une architecture quasi unique, avec plusieurs chapelles en arc de cercle. Les vitraux sont magnifique. Un bijou.

Une des très belles églises de Poitiers à ne pas rater avec ses magnifiques peintures murales et sa longue histoire lié à Saint Hilaire dont la vie vous est comptée à l'intérieur.