Église Saint-Hilaire de Melle

About

Saint-Hilaire Church is a Catholic church located in Melle, France. The building was classified as historic monuments on April 18, 1914. Saint-Hilaire Church has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, as a stage of the Chemins de Compostelle in France.

The church is located in the French department of Deux-Sèvres, in the commune of Melle. By the name of the first bishop of Poitiers, who died in 367, this church, the largest of Melle, is also the only one ever used as a place of worship. According to a charter of the 10th century, the church depended on the Benedictine priory of Saint-Jean-d'Angély and was probably given to the abbey in 961 by Guillaume Tête d'Étoupe, Count of Poitou.

Originally the church was made of wood. It was replaced in the 12th century by the current building. The latter was built in two stages: around 1109 (date of the most recent monetary deposit buried under the church) for the choir and transept, and around 1150 for the nave and facade.

The construction was reportedly financed by a certain Lovemicus Abelini, whose name is found on the tailloir of a capital of the walk.