EGLISE - SAINT GERMAIN DE PRINCAY

Church of Saint Germain de Prinçay

Saint Germain church has no transept and is divided into three parts: the bell tower, the nave and the choir. All that remains of the original 11th-century church, rebuilt in the 13th century, is the octagonal bell tower with no spire, the 5-bay barrel-vaulted nave and the limestone motifs carved into the façade. The higher, rib-vaulted choir in the Angevin style dates from the 14th century. It has a limestone font from the 10th or 11th century and is lit by three long windows. Stained glass windows by Jean Chevolleau (a painter from Vendée) are also present in the choir of the building. The artist explains his work: "The three lancets making up the triplet are inspired by the three essential moments in the life of Jesus: the nativity, the crucifixion and the resurrection. [The design of this ensemble] is very precise, thanks to the lead, and is inspired by reality, while leaving it to the imagination to come up with something of its own. The Gothic portal has no tympanum and is highlighted by a serrated cable. Inside the church, there is carved wooden panelling from the 17th century, a polychrome wooden Christ from the 18th century, and a wooden confessional dating from 1819 (one of the oldest in the Vendée).