The best road cycling routes around Thézac

The Saint-Laurent church has a remarkable feature: its medieval Romanesque bell tower survived the destruction, while the church was rebuilt around it. 1. The origins: 1047 The first known mention of the church dates back to 1047. In a charter, Geoffroy Martel, Count of Anjou, ceded the churches of Saint-Laurent du Gua and Saint-Martin de Sanzillac (an old name associated with Saint-Martin du Gua) to the Abbaye aux Dames in Saintes, along with their parishes, lands, and revenues. This donation testifies to the religious importance of the territory as early as the 11th century. 2. The Romanesque church and its fortified bell tower The original church was a Romanesque building, of which the bell tower is today the main remnant. During the Hundred Years' War, the bell tower was adapted for defensive purposes. One can notably distinguish: -Two levels of Romanesque arcades and bays. -A wall walk for surveillance. -A fortified upper part. -A timber spire covered with slate, added at the beginning of the 16th century. This bell tower is particularly interesting because it combines Romanesque religious architecture with military adaptations. 3. The Wars of Religion and the destruction In the 16th century, the church suffered severe damage during the Wars of Religion. A fire destroyed a large part of the building. The bell tower itself was partially razed, then transformed into a fortified tower. The large Romanesque church thus almost entirely disappeared. 4. The reconstruction around 1800 Around 1800, the old church was considered too dilapidated and dangerous. It was decided to build a new sanctuary while preserving the medieval bell tower. An important architectural feature: the new church was built with a different orientation than the old one. The current facade presents a neoclassical style, with: -Pilasters. -A triangular pediment. -A monumental entrance reminiscent of a triumphal arch. 5. Treasures to discover inside Several elements deserve special attention. -The stained glass windows They date from the 19th and 20th centuries. Some represent episodes from the life and martyrdom of Saint Laurent, the patron saint of the church, as well as Saint Thérèse. -The high altar It comes from the old church of Dercie, a village that today belongs to the commune of Le Gua. -The maritime ex-voto It is a particularly interesting piece: a model of a three-masted ship, dating from the 19th century. It measures: 65 cm in height; 75 cm in length. Its hull is carved from a single block of wood. It represents a three-master with twelve gun ports depicted in black paint. 6. Classification as a Historic Monument -The bell tower is classified as a Historic Monument, but be careful: this classification concerns the bell tower and not the entire church. -The maritime ex-voto was classified as a Historic Monument on November 10, 1980. 7. A recent archaeological discovery: 2019 This is probably the most exciting aspect of the monument's history. During sanitation and redevelopment work on the Place de Verdun, archaeologists intervened around the church. They found: -Remains of the north wall of the original Romanesque nave. -Buried architectural elements. -Old circulation levels inside the church. -Graves. -Traces of medieval constructions nearby. These researches showed that the remains of the old church were much better preserved than previously thought. You can consult the official report from the Ministry of Culture: Archaeological report 2019 – Le Gua, pages 80 and 81 (PDF).

Exceptional view, the most beautiful village in France.

Here you'll find a romantic little lighthouse, and behind it lies a garden with a bench overlooking the sea, a lovely place to stop for a break. Afterwards, you can continue along the cliff to the right until you reach Euro Velo 1 again.

The Terre-Nègre lighthouse is a landmark forming a cylindrical tower a little over 26 meters high. Located on the Pointe de Terre-Nègre, in the commune of Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, in Charente-Maritime, it is intended to mark the southern passage of the Gironde estuary and to signal the presence of a dangerous sandbank, the "barre à l'Anglais". This building forms a column tower 3.16 meters in diameter and 26.60 meters high. A spiral staircase with a central core of 143 steps leads to a top platform equipped with a directional light. The tower is painted in two different colors to make it more visible: the upper part is red, the lower part is white. The base of the lighthouse is hidden by a building that once served as the keeper's living quarters. The installation of a landmark at this location was considered as early as 1763. De Kearney took up the marking plan four years later. Construction of the tower began in 1770 and was completed in 1773, probably under the direction of the Bordeaux engineer Claude Tardy. In 1807, the tower was raised. However, these works were considered insufficient by some of the estuary's navigators. In 1834, sailors from the nearby port of Royan sent a request to the Ministry of the Navy to study the possibility of equipping the tower with a light. However, this request was postponed the following year due to a lack of sufficient funds. A new request from the sailors prompted the lighthouse commission to test a first light in 1836. Finally, on October 15, 1838, a 4th-order fixed white light was installed permanently. The latter was replaced in 1856 by a 4th-order small dioptric model fixed white light with a 5th-order catoptric reinforced sector. It was equipped with new lights in 1899 and 1904. In 1939, it was electrified. During the German occupation, the lighthouse served as an observatory for Wehrmacht soldiers. Damaged during the fighting in 1945 (presence of breaches at the top of the tower), it was restored in the immediate post-war period. In March 1947, the lighthouse was operational again. A light with 3 occultations — changing every 12 seconds — was put in place. Its colors are white, red, and green. Its current range is 18 miles. Listed as a Historic Monument since 2011, the lighthouse is not open to visitors. However, it can be admired from the outside and a lovely path allows direct access to the coastal trail.

It is an absolutely beautiful village.

As high as a mountain, so get ready to stretch your legs!

…While in front of me, In the doubtful clarity in which its form was outlined, Standing on the hillside like a living monster Whose moon spread its enormous shadow on the grass, An immense windmill turned its arms in the wind... (October 23-24, 1897) Guy de Maupassant

Small town with a special charm along the Charente.