Saint-Simon-De-Pellouaille brings together architectural history, prehistoric collections, and a designated walking and cycling route, offering different reasons to stay. The Église Saint-Laurent features specific architectural details; a private collection draws attention to fossils and stone tools. When planning, it is worth distinguishing between the arrangements for visiting the church, making an appointment to see the collection, and starting the route.

Église Saint-Laurent: Architectural history in several layers

The Église Saint-Laurent has been classified as a historic monument since 19 September 1923. Its main construction phases date from the 12th and 16th centuries; the upper section was rebuilt in the 17th century. The round-arched portal has three archivolts resting on sculpted capitals; the columns associated with them have been lost. Archivolts are the bands of masonry that frame the portal arch. Above the first entablature is a row of seven pointed-arch openings, whose columns have also disappeared. The construction phases, rebuilding, and lost columns reveal different historical layers of the church.

Inside are a dome on squinches and an unusual stone holy-water stoup. Squinches are vaulted transitional elements that connect the corners of a room to a dome. If you would like to see the interior, you can obtain the church key from the town hall or the grocery shop. Check the local arrangements before your visit so that you can plan when to collect the key.

Sacred heritage

A monstrance is kept in the sacristy of the parish church of Saint-Simon-De-Pellouaille. It dates from the first quarter of the 19th century and was classified as a protected cultural object on 23 October 1991. The monstrance is made of silver-plated copper; the sunburst is probably silver, but bears no hallmark. In Saint-Simon-De-Pellouaille, you can therefore discover movable cultural heritage as well as architectural history.

Prehistoric collections

The Collection privée de M. Dumas comprises fossils and prehistoric tools, including arrowheads, polished axes, and hand axes. The objects were collected from the surface of archaeological sites. Finds from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods are attributed to the collection. The Palaeolithic dates approximately from 80,000 to 8,000 BC, and the Neolithic from around 8,000 to 3,300 BC. Both date ranges are approximate.

The private collection of M. and Mme Dumas comprises more than 800 hand axes. Visits are possible only by prior appointment; check in advance whether an appointment is currently available.

Walking and regional routes

Circuit No. 12 is designated as a walking and cycling route in Saint-Simon-De-Pellouaille; check the route details before setting off. The Route des Cardinaux is the section of the European Route d’Artagnan in Charente-Maritime and passes through Gémozac. This means there are different levels of planning to consider: a route explicitly designated in Saint-Simon-De-Pellouaille and a route within the wider regional context.

The different activities require different preparations during your stay: visiting the church involves collecting the key, seeing the Dumas collection requires arranging an appointment, and cycling or walking the Circuit requires checking the route details. This will help you decide which options fit your schedule.

Discover more destinations: Dompierre-Sur-Charente, Saint-Ouen-d'Aunis, Saint-Trojan-Les-Bains, Saint-Crépin, Paillé, Luchat, Saint-Christophe, Léoville

For the broader travel overview: Charente-Maritime.