Église St-Hilaire le Grand Poitiers

Consecrated in 1049, used as a warehouse during the Revolution and partly rebuilt in the 19th century, this grandiose Romanesque church appears on Unesco's list of World Heritage Sites as a treasured stop on the Chemin de St-Jacques de Compostelle. The remains of 11th-century decorative paintings – in rich ochre, ginger and gold tones – in its ornate sculpted interior are striking.