Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe
France ·
Description
Saint-Savin is a sky painted a thousand years ago. The nave vault shows Genesis and Exodus in 36 scenes of ochre, red and green barely touched by time. It's France's most complete Romanesque mural painting ensemble, where medieval art transmits sacred stories to illiterate and scholars alike.
Why It's a World Heritage Site
Saint-Savin contains France's most important Romanesque mural paintings and one of Europe's best preserved. The 11th-century frescoes illustrate Old Testament scenes with exceptional mastery.
UNESCO Criteria
Frequently Asked Questions
For containing France's most important ensemble of Romanesque mural paintings.
It was inscribed in 1983 under criteria (i) and (iii).
For the extent and quality of its frescoes, comparable in importance to Michelangelo's.
Original plaster protected the paintings; they were never covered or aggressively restored.
In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, between Poitiers and Limoges, France.