The early religious building built on this site is the chapel of the priory of Saint-Pierre, whose date of foundation is not known. Until the end of the 18th century, it belonged to the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Michel-en-l'Herm. This chapel itself succeeds another building: several archaeological operations confirm indeed an occupation of the site since antiquity and a public thermal building was discovered under the west gable of the church in 1991. The chapel of the priory was therefore built on the ruins of this thermal building. Medieval and modern tombs have also been unearthed.
The church has continued to evolve and be transformed over the centuries, according to the needs of the parish and the architectural modes of the different periods of construction. These modifications have left many archaeological traces: reuses, funeral slabs, graffiti... With a slightly sharpened look, one can "read" the history of the church by looking at its external facades.
Guided tour by Céline Belzic, from the heritage department of the Vendée.
This visit is part of the restitution of the collective research project on the ancient agglomeration, launched in 2023, under the co-direction of Aurélien Hamel (Vendée Departmental Council) and Jérôme Pascal (Inrap), with the support of the Langon town hall.
