L'église Saint-Pierre

Evangelisation in Pays de Retz

Saint Martin de Vertou evangelised the south of the Loire in the 6th century.
A first church was built on the very spot where the monk is said to have planted his staff.

The first mention of a church in the parish of Port-Saint-Père dates back to the 12th century. At that time, there were two religious buildings: the priory of Saint-Martin and the church of Saint-Pierre.

It features two altarpieces dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, dedicated to :

Saint André
and Saint Eutrope, Bishop of Saintes. This refers to the many pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela that passed through the Pays de Retz.



In the Middle Ages, the town of Port-Saint-Père was very well known, thanks to its geographical location, which meant that land and river traffic was very dense.
It was a place of passage on the Tenu, hence its name of "port" (passage and port are synonymous) which indicates the "passage of Saint-Pierre".


Saint-Pierre medieval church

This church is dedicated to Saint Peter. This name refers back to the first evangeliser, Martin de Vertou, who named his foundations Saint-Pierre or Saint-Jean.

The first building was enlarged and transformed over the centuries, particularly in the 12th and 15th centuries.
It had to undergo several repairs during the 17th and 18th centuries, due to poor maintenance.

The Revolution led to the ruin of the building, and on 10 September 1793, the town of Port-Saint-Père was ravaged by fire as the Republicans passed through. Only three houses remained standing.
The church was destroyed by the fire.

It was nevertheless restored between 1812 and 1818. A bell tower and two chapels forming a transept were built to accommodate the growing population.
It was enlarged in 1825 and 1834.

As early as 1834, the parishioners, who had become more numerous, were planning the construction of a new building.


Neo-Gothic Saint-Pierre church

This new neo-Gothic church was built to plans drawn up in 1865 by the architect Joseph-Fleury Chenantais (1809-1868), who was also involved in the construction of the Palais Dobrée.
The foundation stone was laid on 28 June 1865.
It was built thanks to a local subscription and donations.
It has three naves and stained glass windows in the choir and on the sides.

In order to allow mass to be celebrated during the construction work, the building was built in two stages:


from 1865 to 1867: construction of the nave, side aisles and south transept.
from 1873 to 1878: the north transept, the choir and the two side chapels.


This church was built on the site of the former cemetery and the east-west chevet of the old church (which was demolished in 1874). To meet traffic needs, it had to be laid out perpendicular to the former place of worship.

Further work was carried out on the church between 1878 and 1880.

It was topped by a bell tower in 1889 and a 58-metre spire, thanks in part to a bequest from Aristide de Grandville's widow, Sophie Martel (1799-1881).

Near the altar of the Virgin, on the lower right-hand side, is a copy of Michelangelo's Pietà.

As the building had suffered from the ravages of time, major work was carried out over a two-year period in 2021/2023. The slate roof and framework had deteriorated.
As a result, the church has been given a facelift.

To consult the mass times for the parish of Sainte Anne - Françoise en Retz: click here
The parish of Sainte Anne - Françoise en Retz comprises eight churches: Saint-Mars-de-Coutais, Port-Saint-Père, Rouans, Vue, Sainte-Pazanne, Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons, Arthon-en-Retz and Chéméré.