Aulnay-en-Saintonge (Charente-
Maritime), Saint-Pierre, south portal.
Photograph courtesy of Whitney
S.Stoddard.
stones. The innermost archivolt contains six animal figures in a swirl of scrollwork
reminiscent of Arabic art. The second archivolt contains twenty-four haloed saints; the
third has the twenty-four Elders from Revelation; and the final archivolt is a bestiary of
fanciful animals that suggests the Feast of Fools or humanity’s constant struggle with its
bestial nature. This theme may be echoed in the second archivolt of the central portal of
the west façade, where we find armed Virtues trampling the Vices. The third archivolt
depicts the Wise and Foolish Virgins. The style here, with its graceful and elongated
figures, is very different from that of the south portal. The flanking portals of this façade
show the crucifixion of St. Peter and Christ in Majesty.
The interior of Saint-Pierre consists of a five-bay nave with narrow side aisles, a
transept, and a deep choir. Quatrilobed columns with richly sculpted capitals carry broken
barrel vaults. One famous capital shows three elephants; others have griffins, fantastical
animals, and monsters; but the most celebrated shows the sleeping Samson being bound
by Delilah while a Philistine is cutting his hair with enormous shears.
William W.Kibler
Chagnolleau, J. L’église d’Aulnay. Grenoble, 1938.
Lefèvre-Pontalis, E. “Aulnay-de-Saintonge.” Congrès archéologique (Angoulême) 79, 1912):95–
111.
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