The Abbey Church of Saint-Maixent-l'École

The remains of an old Benedictine abbey, the Abbey Church of Saint-Maixent-l'École overlooks the peaceful valley of the Sèvre Niortaise from the top of its ornate bell tower. Built from the 10th century onwards to contain the relics of St. Maixent and St. Leger, mainly destroyed during the Wars of Religion, then rebuilt in the 17th century by François le Duc aka Toscane, this imposing historic monument combines the Romanesque and Flamboyant Gothic styles in its architecture. Be sure to see the majestic nave, 17th-century furniture, and the crypt with the empty tombs of St. Maixent and St. Leger...

Adjoining the abbey church, the convent buildings of St. Maixent housed the National Active Non-commissioned Officers School from 1963 to 2011. The Non-commissioned Officers Museum, located in the Marchand quarter, has a collection of uniforms, weapons and decorations that tells the story of the town's military past and the history of non-commissioned officers in the French Army, from the Old Regime to the present day.