Aulnay

Aulnay stands near an ancient road between Poitiers and Saintes, later followed by pilgrims travelling towards Santiago de Compostela. Its twelfth-century church of Saint-Pierre-de-la-Tour is renowned for its carved portals, where the Romanesque traditions of Poitou and Saintonge meet. Around 1350 the viscount Ponce de Mortagne founded a convent between the castle and the church, adding another religious house to the town.