ST. JUNIAN ABBEY

On the banks of the Miosson, the abbey rises up, both massive and moving. At the end of the ^7th century, clerics from Saint-Hilaire de Poitiers settled here and built their first church. In the ^8th century, the priory became an abbey and the monks adopted the Benedictine rule. The reception of Saint Junien's relics in 830 marked the beginning of the abbey's development, which prospered steadily thereafter, leading to the creation of a village (attested as early as the ^11th century). The present-day church was then built, and the convent and cloister rebuilt. After the French Revolution, the abbey was dismantled, the church given over to parish worship and the remaining buildings sold as national property.

The interior of the church features a fine collection of ^12th-century sculpted capitals and the remains of ^12th- or ^13th-century painted decoration on the nave walls. Dated to the year 1000, the tomb of Saint Junien stands out for its paintings on the sarcophagus. Among the fine furnishings (stalls, statues and rood screen) is a beautiful polychrome terracotta Pietà.

Outside, enjoy the ramparts, towers and moat. In the abbey dwelling (now the town hall), you'll notice the ornamentation on the door and the mullioned windows. To find out more about the village, an exhibition entitled "Nouaillé, une histoire, des hommes, des paysages" (Nouaillé, a history, people and landscapes) can be viewed all year round at the town hall. Take a stroll through the medieval-inspired garden to learn more about the use of plants in the Middle Ages.