Church of Saint-Ausone de Voissay

The history of the foundation of the church of Voissay is completely unknown to us due to a lack of documents, but its Romanesque architecture indicates that it was built in the 12th century. The building was dedicated to Saint Ausone, the first bishop of Angoulême. Description: The church is orientated, i.e. the chancel is to the east. It has a simple rectangular nave and the current apse, which is probably not the original one, is flat and blind. The west facade, flanked by flat buttresses, has a semi-circular portal with three arches, supported by columns, some of which are ringed. These are surmounted by capitals sculpted with fairly simple foliage, and topped by a diamond-pointed archivolt. A first band runs from the capitals to the ends of the façade, and a second separates the portal from the window above it. This round-headed window is also flanked by two columns with leafy capitals and adorned with a diamond-pointed archivolt. The façade is adorned with a modillion cornice and topped by a two-bay bell tower with a pointed arch and a stone cross. The bell is dated 1641 and its support 1976: it bears the inscription "IHS MARIA JESUS FAICTE POUR (?) L'EGLISE DE SAINT-OUSAN DE VOISSAY (?) AN L'AN 1641" and a fleurdelisé cross. The south wall of the church has three pointed-arched openings, while the others are blind. It also has a cornice with modillions, which continues on the east wall. Two modillions feature distinctive sculpted decoration: one depicts a human face sticking out its tongue (to the south), the other a barrel (to the east). Only a few modillions remain on the north wall, which also features a walled-in door and the elements of a fireplace, the only remains of the former presbytery, which has now disappeared. The chevet is flanked by thick buttresses. Inside, the nave consists of two bays separated by engaged columns with capitals decorated with striations, which must have supported the original vault, replaced by a roof frame. An old chamfered pointed arch doorway can be seen in the south wall. The bay above it has a stained glass window depicting Jesus and the little children, signed "A. Bergès 1879". The Stations of the Cross is made up of lithographs. A broken triumphal arch leads into the choir, which is adorned with an altarpiece depicting the Virgin, signed "E. Lessieux pinxit ("painted") 22 June 1876 - Cheminet prêtre curé". The altarpiece conceals a former round-headed bay window, which has now been bricked up, and the door of the former sacristy, which has been converted into a cupboard. A niche surmounted by an accolade is built into the south wall. The altar is decorated with the monogram IHS.