World Heritage Identification Number: 230
World Heritage since: 1983
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Religious Sites & Sacred Architecture
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇫🇷 France
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe: A Medieval Masterpiece in Western France
The Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe, nestled on the banks of the Gartempe river in the Vienne department of western France, stands as a testament to the artistic and architectural prowess of the Middle Ages. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, this medieval masterpiece is often referred to as the 'Romanesque Sistine Chapel' due to its extraordinary collection of 11th- and 12th-century murals.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Known as the 'Romanesque Sistine Chapel', the Abbey-Church of Saint-Savin contains many beautiful 11th- and 12th-century murals which are still in a remarkable state of preservation.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (i): The Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe is a masterpiece of the murals of the 11th and 12th centuries. Its outstanding character is due to its extraordinary decor, testimony to the art of representing and painting in western Christian medieval civilization. The walls are covered with murals containing narrative scenes, using an entire palette of colours and compositions that are full of elegance and movement. Such an art form reached its peak over this period. Its monumental style and the extensiveness of its iconography justify the name of “Romanesque Sistine Chapel”, which has been given to Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe.
Criterion (iii): The Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe bears witness to the importance of the image in a monastic building, considered at that time as a major educational place, reflecting medieval ways of thinking. The images, profusely spread over its walls, are an outstanding testimony to medieval civilization and its means of representation and diffusion of ideas. Some of these biblical themes represented in image are topical in western Christian civilization.
Encyclopedia Record: Saint-Savin, Vienne
Saint-Savin, also referred to as Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is located on the banks of the Gartempe.Additional Site Details
Area: 1.61 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
Coordinates: 46.56472 , 0.86611
