Saint-Vincent-La-Châtre Circular Route

Start from the car park in front of the War Memorial in Saint-Vincent-la-Châtre (next to the post office in the village centre).

(S/E) Head towards the church and follow the path towards the cemetery, then continue along the path until you reach a junction with a small road.

(1) Follow the path opposite until you reach the junction by the Saint-Vincent-la-Châtre water tower.

(2) Continue along the path; it will lead onto a road; follow this straight ahead to the next crossroads 200m away.

(3) Turn left towards Les Loges. In front of a beautiful property, turn right towards Champ Clairin.

(4) Continue towards La Friconnière, turning left at the crossroads. At the next crossroads (altitude 160m), turn right towards Les Vallées de Verdroux. At the crossroads (altitude 139m), take the road straight ahead on the right until you reach the crossroads (altitude 142m).

(5) Turn right onto a road that quickly becomes a track. Follow this track until you reach the crossroads at a place called Les Terroux.

(6) Continue straight on along the track opposite until you reach a track at an altitude of 159m.

(7) Turn right to walk alongside the Bois de la Pinaudière until you reach the end of the woods at a road junction.

(8) Turn right onto this road. Continue straight on until you reach the crossroads you passed on the way there.

(3) Follow the route back in the opposite direction to return to the car park (S/E).

The car park in the centre of Saint-Vincent-la-Châtre is the one belonging to the post office. It is situated next to the War Memorial and right next to the village church.

Saint-Vincent Church is already mentioned in the list of churches donated to the Abbey of Saint Jean d'Angély in the early 12th century by William I, Bishop of Poitiers. In the 14th century, Saint-Vincent-la-Châtre (from castrum = fortified place) was under the jurisdiction of the Abbey of Saint-Séverin-sur-Boutonne, which was then part of the Diocese of Poitiers. The parish priest-prior, under the Rule of Saint Augustine, retained this title until the Revolution, when the church, being very poor, was not sold.
The church has been extensively remodelled since the 12th century. However, it is unified by a large roof of curved tiles surmounted by a small bell tower, built in 1653. It houses a bell named Marie-Louise, cast in 1866 by Bollée in Le Mans. The portal, beneath three pointed arches, is particularly notable for its capitals: on the left, a bird and a quadruped devouring one another and metamorphosing in a symbolism that eludes us; on the right, the martyrdom of Saint Vincent, naked, lying upon the flames.
Inside, the nave, having lost its vault—most likely during the Wars of Religion—has a squat appearance. Two Romanesque columns with their historiated capitals occupy the space: on the north side, a dog chasing a stag; on the south, a dog pursued by a mythical creature resembling the one on the portal. The chancel is a single bay with a Gothic vault. The chapel opening onto the north side, set between two buttresses, is a 15th- or 16th-century addition. Set against its wall is the flat tomb of Canon Aubert Gazeau, adorned with his effigy; he died in 1508, and the tomb has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1903. It is the charming details that give this little church its special appeal; it is well worth a visit.