The church of Saint Vivien was built in the 11th or 12th century. Around the 13th or 14th century, the two bays of the nave were vaulted; the one next to the entrance has its vault intact; the other one barely shows remains of arches. We also know that the church was decorated with paintings. The artists of the time decorated the walls and columns with ochre and yellowish tones.
The church of St. Pallais dates from the 12th century and houses the tomb of the mystic Marie-Eustelle Harpain (1814-1842), nicknamed the Angel of the Eucharist. The vaults were rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 13th century, the choir and transept were also rebuilt in the 13th century. The chevet wall was pierced in the 15th century by a bay with a flamboyant filling. The square in front of the church housed a cemetery until the 18th century.
Established on the right bank of the river Charente, near the former funeral basilica of Bishop Pallais, it owes its foundation in 1047 to the Count of Anjou Geoffroy Martel and his wife Agnes of Burgundy. First women's abbey in Saintonge, the Benedictine moniales printed currency and had a taste for business.
Saint-Vivien Church was built on the presumed site of the funeral basilica of Bishop Vivien, who died in the 5th century, and was rebuilt several times over the following centuries. The present building was constructed between 1840 and 1845 by the architect Brossard. Saint-Vivien Church was built in a neo-classical style inspired by early Christian basilicas.
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