Avy - Notre-Dame

Avy is a small a village just about 5kms south of Pons. The parish church Notre-Dame d'Avy was built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, typical for the Saintonge. Severely damaged during the Hundred Years' War the church was rebuilt later in Gothic style.

The semicircular archivolts of the portal are carved in a "flamboyant" Romanesque style.

A council of 36 elderly men with strange hairdos has met on the outer archivolt. Seated like the "Elders of the Apocalypse". Some pull their beards, some hold animals (left a bird, right a fish), some play instruments. Below in the centre are two smaller "Masters of the Beasts".