Saint Etienne Church

Former church of Marans founded in the 1921th-XNUMXth century by the monks of the abbey of Maillezais, the remains and ruins of the church of Saint Etienne remain visible. They have been classified as Historic Monuments since XNUMX.

A former priory, the Saint Etienne church was founded by the monks of the abbey of Maillezais in the XNUMXth century. It underwent several transformations in the XNUMXth century, including the reconstruction of its octagonal bell tower, still visible today. The building was looted and partially destroyed during the wars of religion. The vaults were then not rebuilt, and the repairs undertaken during the XNUMXth century were insufficient. Abandoned and far from the center of Marans, the church is abandoned for that of Notre-Dame des Marais.

The old priory then begins to crumble, and is partly demolished. Only the classification "historical monument" of the Romanesque base of the bell tower in 1921 makes it possible to protect and safeguard the ruins of the building.

Today, it is possible to see the remains of transepts, a span of the nave and columns with Romanesque capitals. One of the particularities of the building is its octagonal bell tower. It was originally topped with a frame arrow.

The remains of this monument are still visible from the outside, in the center of the Marans cemetery.