Parthenay - Notre-Dame-de-la-Couldre

Parthenay is a very well fortified town, sited on a rocky spur, surrounded by the River Thouet. It has a (now ruined) castle inside and is known since the 11th century. Many pilgrims, following a branch of the Via Turonensis passed through here. The main gate of Parthenay, where the pilgrims once entered the town, still bears the name of Saint Jaques.

Notre-Dame-de-la-Couldre, built in the 12th century, was the parish church of Partenay, while Sainte-Croix (previous uploads) was a Collegiate church. In 1623 the church was taken over by Ursulines, who had a convent here.
After the French Revolution the church was sold as "National Property". The new owner, a former priest, planned to establish a spinning mill, but failed - and ruined the buildings. In 1847 the Ursulines opened a private school and integrated the ruins into the surrounding buildings.

The school is still existing, here is the website:

www.ndlacouldre.com/

Only the lower section of the Romanesque facade and the apse survived the times. The facade is very damaged. Here are details of the four semicircular archivolts of the central arch. Crist and the Lamb of God (2nd), flanked by angels. The third archivolt has probably virtues and vices. Interesting is the fourth. Here are the "Elders of the Apocalypse", holding instruments and bottles of parfume. Mostly there are 24 Elders ( in the Saintonge upto 50), seated in a long row. Here are only six of them, in a horzontal position, fitting perfectly into the archivolt.

Most of the artworks, that could be moved out from here, are now in museums in Paris, Bostson, New York, Cambridge ..