The Protestant temple of Saintes, in Charente-Maritime, was built in 1906.
It then succeeded two previous places of worship dedicated to the Reformed religion: a first temple dating from 1602 was destroyed in 1685 after the revocation of the edict of Nantes and a second had been in service in the 19th century (a small room near the College chapel) before being abandoned.
The current temple was designed by the Parisian architect Augustin Rey in stone and reinforced concrete. Its plan with tripartite composition including a semicircular vaulted nave and aisles, like its overall Romanesque style (but revised and corrected), evoke Catholic Christian traditions at a time when in the region as everywhere else, recently Protestant temples rather, the buildings followed a refined neoclassical style.
The facade is particularly remarkable, and there are neo-Romanesque and neo-Byzantine influences, with its ornaments with vegetal or even geometric motifs, also typical of Art Nouveau. Inside, the concrete structure was covered with a pink plaster plaster.
Renowned master glassmaker, Félix Gaudin designed the stained glass windows, the most notable being on the facade, like that of the large cruciform zenithal bay.
This unique ensemble with varied influences but beautifully made has earned the temple its inclusion in the Inventory.
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