Twenty-six steps. Eleven marches. A palier. Forty-six more steps of sandstone. They all lead to the Église Saint-Gilles-et-de-l’Assomption. This unique church stands apart from the village center. Its position is dominant and protective.
Welcome. We are standing before the Église Saint-Gilles-et-de-l’Assomption. It has stood here for centuries. It has watched over the village below.
The Église Saint-Gilles-et-de-l’Assomption’s story begins long ago. Its construction happened between the XIth and XVIIth centuries. Originally, it was a simple structure. It had a single nave a choir and a chevet. Later, a square tower and a protruding absidiole were added.
The church is dedicated to Saint Gilles. Later, a lateral chapel dedicated to the Virgin was added. This addition led to the name “de l’Assomption.” The Rohan family also added a funerary chapel. It was called the “chapel of the Princes”. The Rohan family used this chapel for burials until 1793.
Interestingly, this is the only church in the region that faces north-south. This orientation is likely due to the narrowness of the terrace. The bell tower is the oldest part. It dates back to the XIth century. Its Romanesque door is contemporary with the ruins of Gui le Rouge’s castle. The door is now a classified historical monument. The apse dates to the XIIth century. The current porch and the lateral chapel of Marie-Madeleine date to the XVIIth century.
Inside the Église Saint-Gilles-et-de-l’Assomption are several funerary slabs. One classified slab shows the engraved figures of the Renty spouses. They lived from 1533 to 1540.
Look at the park. Notice the stylized crosses forming pillars. They run alongside the Église Saint-Gilles-et-de-l’Assomption. The sculptor G. Germain created them in the 1950s. They commemorate Gui le Rouge’s participation in the First Crusade. G. Germain also created the calvary near the Rue de Longvilliers. It marks the boundary between two towns.
Let us admire the Romanesque portal. It dates from the XIth century. It is a classified historical monument. The portal features a semicircular arch with triple rolls. The outer row of voussoirs is decorated with a double series of broken sticks. A rosette molding surrounds it. Two of the three rows of voussoirs rest on columns with capitals. To the left of the portal are rows of stones in “opus spicatum”. These stones are remnants of older constructions.
The baptismal fonts are also from the XIth century. They are as old as the Église Saint-Gilles-et-de-l’Assomption itself. The fonts were moved to the entrance of the Virgin’s chapel. The basin resembles a large Carolingian capital. Outlines of four volutes appear on the upper part. A large allegorical motif stands out in slight relief on each of the four faces. The whole structure is set into a square base. The base consists of two series of four millstone blocks joined with mortar. The basin is carved from a single block but is badly damaged.
Finally, consider the cemetery. The town has kept its old cemetery. It is built on the terrace next to the Église Saint-Gilles-et-de-l’Assomption. From there you have a beautiful view of the village and surrounding countryside. Next to the communal cemetery are two private cemeteries. One contains tombs of Rohan family members. They shaped Rochefort’s history for two hundred years. The other holds the tombs of the Porgès family. Maurice Porgès built the château on Rochefort’s heights. He modeled it after the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris.
Now you can scan a QR code. The code allows a virtual visit to the Église Saint-Gilles-et-de-l’Assomption.
The Église Saint-Gilles-et-de-l’Assomption is more than just a building. It is a repository of history art and faith. Its stones tell stories of centuries past. It connects us to the people who built and worshipped here.