Église St-Hilaire-le-Grand, Poitiers

St-Hilaire's Romanesque apse with chapels. Photo © Jaufré Rudel.
See all photos in our St-Hilaire-le-Grand Photo Gallery.

Transept and tower of St-Hilaire-le-Grand. Photo © Jaufré Rudel.

Carved capital on the exterior. Photo © Jaufré Rudel.

Choir with ambulatory. Photo © Jaufré Rudel.

Capital with traces of paint in the choir. Photo © Jaufré Rudel.

Romanesque wall painting near the entrance. Photo © Jaufré Rudel.

More Romanesque murals of St-Hilaire-le-Grand. Photos © Jaufré Rudel.

The Église St-Hilaire-le-Grand (Church of St. Hilary the Great) is one of several notable Romanesque churches in Poitiers. Built in the 11th century, it has a fine apse surrounded by chapels, Romanesque wall paintings in the choir, and several carved capitals. It is a World Heritage Site as part of the Routes to Santiago de Compostela in France.

History

The church of St-Hilaire-le-Grand was built in the 11th century over a Roman graveyard and dedicated to St. Hilary, the first bishop of Poitiers. Hilary was born into a pagan family at Poitiers and converted to Christianity after reading the Scriptures. He was appointed bishop of his city in 350 AD, after which he took up the defense of orthodox Christianity against Arianism.

Hilary was eventually exiled by the Arian emperor Constantius, but he continued his writing on theology (in which he encouraged a moderate approach to the Semi-Arians) and traveled to Constantinople to do further battle against error.

Hilary returned to Poitiers in 361, resumed his role as bishop, and was visited by his former disciple St. Martin of Tours. After a trip to Italy on further Arian-related business, Hilary returned again to Poitiers, where he remaind until his death in 368 AD (feast day: January 14).

Thanks to its tomb of St. Hilary, this church in Poitiers attracted many pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, who processed around the roomy ambulatory in the east end. The fate of Hilary's relics is not known for certain (the church of Puy still claims to have them), but one account says they were taken from the church of St-Hilaire and destroyed by Protestants in 1572.

A fire around 1100 destroyed the original wooden roof of the church, which was replaced with eight heavy domes. This extra weight necessitated the addition of numerous auxiliary columns, which contribute to the uniqueness of the interior.

The facade and domed aisles of were severely damaged when the tower fell in 1590. The church was restored in the 19th century, during which part of the nave was trimmed off.

What to See

St Hilaire is best approached from the east, where its large Romanesque apse is surrounded by radiating chapels. Carvings can be seen in some of the blind arches, capitals and eaves of the exterior.

Inside, the church has a central nave plus three aisles on each side, supported by a forest of columns. The entrance opens into four chapels with Romanesque wall paintings, which include one of the first paintings of the Apocalypse. There are carved capitals, many still colorfully painted, in the choir.

Quick Facts

Names:	Église St-Hilaire-le-Grand; Church of St. Hilary the Great
Type of site:	Church; Catholic shrine
Faith:	Roman Catholic
Status:	Active
Dates:	11th century
Architecture:	Romanesque
Location:	Rue du Doyenne, Poitiers, France
Phone:	05 49 41 21 24 (Poitiers tourism office)
Cost:	Free

Travel Resources

Poitiers Hotel Reviews - unbiased ratings from fellow travelers
Poitiers Travel Forum - get tips, advice, answers on Poitiers

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of Église St-Hilaire-le-Grand. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Poitiers Map or get our free Google Earth download.

Sources

Rough Guide to France 9 (April 2005).
Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand - Vienne Tourism
St Hilaire le Grand - Planetware
St. Hilary of Poitiers - Catholic Encyclopedia
Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France - UNESCO World Heritage