Saint-Gelais au Péril des Dragons

St-Gelais offers a wide view of the Sèvre Niortaise. On the side of a hillside, the village, whose first lord is Hugues de Lusignan, is surrounded by its church, its temple and its castle. The sanctuary, built in 1109, dominates the valley as well as the Renaissance castle built by the Protestant Charles V of St-Gelais. The bowl and basket of the Holy Supper carved at the top of its south gable testify that the Calvinist cult was celebrated there until 1643. From 1681, the terrible exactions of the Dragons of King Louis XIV decimated the Protestant ranks. A new temple was rebuilt in 1844. Don’t miss the fountain Mélusine, a contemporary nod to the legendary descent of St-Gelais to the most famous Poitou character.

To see: St-Gelais church of the XII-XVth century, Renaissance castle, Protestant temple, residence, heritage path, wash houses, meadow of the forest.