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Built in the 11th century, the church of Saint-Hilaire le Grand is a remarkable Romanesque edifice dedicated to the first attested bishop of Poitiers, Saint Hilaire. Very important collegiate church around his tomb (crypt behind the altar, a place of pilgrimage, especially from the 12th century for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela).
The nave, destroyed during the revolution, was rebuilt in 1875 and a new facade was added. The remains of the 11th century painted and sculpted decoration reveal a great wealth. The church was entirely covered with Romanesque wall paintings representing the bishops of Poitiers in the nave, the apocalypse in the choir and drawings in the chapels of the ambulatory.
The paintings and statues date from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Saint Hilary's Day is celebrated on January 13th in winter and June 26th in summer.
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