Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Châtellerault

Châtellerault has been a halt for the pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela from the very beginning - and of course they all of them stopped at this church to pray. The construction of the church started in 1008 on the ruins of the chapel of an even older Saint-Jacques priory. In the heydays of the pilgrimage numerous hospices, inns and "auberges", all centered around this church, offered their services. This large, wooden statue of Saint Jacques is placed on a side aisle of the church. When it was carved within the 17th century, these heydays were already long ago.

Châtellerault has been a halt for the pilgrims to Santiago de Compostella from the very beginning - and of course they all of them stopped at this church. The construction of the church started in 1008 on the ruins of the chapel of an even older Saint-Jacques priory. The facade and the towers, seen here, are a result of a major rebuilding project done in the 19th century. Prosper Mérimée, the inspector-general of historical monuments, did not like this (overdone) restoration at all.

After having passed the ugly commercial zone along the D910", dotted with cheap hotels and hamburger-restaurants, I finally reached the inner city of Châtellerault, where the "chemin" runs along the Vienne. Here is the "Pont Henri-IV", built from 1565 to 1609. The bridge is framed by two round towers on left bank of Vienne river.