Holiday apartment in Saint-Simon-de-Pellouaille: Discover the church, collection and trails

Saint-Simon-de-Pellouaille combines distinctive church architecture, prehistoric discoveries, signposted trails and special events.

Holiday apartment in Saint-Simon-de-Pellouaille amid historic building phases and distinctive details

The Église Saint-Laurent has been classified as a historic monument since 19 September 1923. Its main building phases date from the 12th and 16th centuries. This chronology alone makes the church a destination for visitors interested in buildings that have visibly evolved over time and who want to trace different periods in one place.

The exterior details deserve a close look. The Église Saint-Laurent opens through a round-arched portal with three archivolts resting on sculpted capitals; the corresponding columns have been lost. Above the first entablature is a row of seven pointed-arch openings, whose columns have also disappeared. The upper part of the church was rebuilt in the 17th century. The round-arched portal, pointed-arch openings and the later-renewed section thus stand together as evidence of the building’s different phases.

This distinctive character continues inside: there is a dome on pendentives and an unusual stone holy-water font. The sacristy of the Saint-Simon-de-Pellouaille parish church also houses a monstrance. It dates from the first quarter of the 19th century and is made of silver-plated copper. The radiating halo is probably made of silver, but bears no hallmark. On 23 October 1991, the monstrance was classified as a protected cultural object.

Prehistoric collections with specific finds

A second focus is the Collection privée de M. Dumas. It includes fossils and prehistoric tools, including arrowheads, polished axes and hand axes. The pieces were collected from the surface of archaeological sites. The collection includes finds from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. The Palaeolithic dates approximately from 80,000 to 8,000 BC, while the Neolithic dates approximately from 8,000 to 3,300 BC.

The private collection of M. and Mme Dumas comprises more than 800 hand axes. Interested visitors can view them by prior appointment. For a holiday apartment in Saint-Simon-de-Pellouaille, this creates a travel theme that clearly differs from a simple tour of the village: the focus here is on tangible objects and the depth of human history over time.

Hiking and cycling routes for planning

Circuit No. 12 is a signposted hiking and cycling route in Saint-Simon-de-Pellouaille. In addition, the Route des Cardinaux is the section of the European d’Artagnan Route in Charente-Maritime and passes through Gémozac. Both route themes add physical activity and orientation within the wider region to your stay, without requiring you to limit your daily schedule to just one type of experience.

Events and practical daily planning

In June, Saint-Simon-de-Pellouaille hosts a Fête du cheval. A Supercross event also takes place in the village. Together with the church, the private collection and Circuit No. 12, these create different possible focuses for your trip. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can first consider whether you want to organise your stay primarily around culture, prehistoric artefacts, physical activity or an event date. If you plan to visit the Église Saint-Laurent, bear in mind that the key is available from the town hall or the grocery shop.

Saint-Simon-de-Pellouaille is therefore particularly suitable for travel planning that is not focused on just one highlight. The church offers architectural and art-historical details, the collection reaches far back into prehistory, and the routes and events add their own distinctive touches. It is therefore best to choose a holiday apartment in Saint-Simon-de-Pellouaille to suit the rhythm you envisage for your days between visits, trails and scheduled events.

More destinations for your travel planning

Other destinations you can include in your travel planning: Salles-Sur-Mer, Marans, Boscamnant, Châtelaillon-Plage, Bagnizeau, Saint-Genis-De-Saintonge, La Clisse, Saint-Romain-sur-Gironde.

To the higher-level travel overview: Charente-Maritime.