ClasséDolmen · protected 1862Dolmen dit La Pierre-LevéePhoto: Arseni Mourzenko · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Église Saint-Jean de Montierneuf · Photo: Benjamin Smith · CC BY-SA 4.085historic monuments
History of Poitiers · Monuments historiques
A secteur sauvegardé since 1966, and 85 historic monuments
The Culture ministry lists 85 historic monuments in Poitiers: 25 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 60 inscrit (the second level). The oldest date from prehistory. That’s 9.5 for every 10,000 residents, more per resident than 84% of compared French towns; the median compared French town has 2.5. We have photos of 60 of them.
Monuments historiques
85
9.5 per 10,000 residents
median compared town 2.5
median compared town 2.5
Classé
25
the highest protection
Inscrit
60
the second level
Oldest part
Prehistory
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
10%
median compared town 7.4%
In pictures
Poitiers in 60 photos
Nearly every classé monument, photographed. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Hôtel Jean-BaucéClassé
Hôtel de la Bidolière (ancien)Classé
Hôtel CouturerClassé
Dolmen dit La Pierre-LevéeClassé
Baptistère Saint-JeanClassé+55See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its license; names open the monument’s page.
Protected area
Poitiers has had a protected historic area since 1966
Sites patrimoniaux remarquables on the Culture ministry’s list, with the plan in force.
| Area | Created as | Plan in force |
|---|---|---|
| SPR75-140 | Secteur sauvegardé March 29, 1966 | PSMV (safeguarding plan) July 25, 2013 |
A site patrimonial remarquable protects a whole area rather than one building: inside it, building work follows the area’s own plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France. A PSMV (plan de sauvegarde et de mise en valeur) is the strictest plan: it covers every building, inside as well as out.
The list gives no boundaries, so the map can’t show the area.
Map
Where Poitiers’ monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscritWithin 400 m of Église Saint-Porchaire
11 of 25classé monuments stand within 400 m of Église Saint-Porchaire, with 28 of the town’s 85 monuments.
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
85 monuments by protection
25 Classé60 Inscrit
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point.
Classé
25 classé monuments in Poitiers
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. 14 of the 25 are protected in part only (a façade, a roof, a room). Each card opens the monument’s page.
ClasséReligious building · protected 1846Baptistère Saint-JeanPhoto: Sumolari, B25es · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséFunerary monument · protected 1886Hypogée des DunesPhoto: Sapiens92 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1840Église Notre-Dame-la-GrandePhoto: PMRMaeyaert · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséChurch · protected 1840Église Saint-Jean de MontierneufPhoto: Benjamin Smith · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1846Église Saint-PorchairePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Benjamin Smith · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséCathedral · protected 1875Cathédrale Saint-PierrePhoto: ArnoLagrange · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséConvent · protected 1975Monastère Saint-Hilaire de la Celle (ancien)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: Ovoid · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséPublic building · protected 1862Ancien Palais des Comtes de PoitiersPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Remi Jouan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown walls · protected 1921Enceinte (ancienne)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: Arseni Mourzenko · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1923Maison du 15e siècle dite Maison des Trois Clous ou de Charles VIIPart of the building is protectedPhoto: ArnoLagrange · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1927Ancien Hôtel de Jean Du Moulin de Rochefort, actuellement siège de la DRAC (direction régionale des affaires culturelles) de Poitou-CharentesPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Georg.04 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1922Hôtel de la Bidolière (ancien)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: Laurentsab · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1966Hôtel Jean-BaucéPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Benjamin Smith · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1923Hôtel Pélisson (ancien)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: MarieBlugeon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséSchool · protected 1908Collège de Poitiers (ancien) , actuellement lycée Henri IVPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Louis Finson · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1985Hôtel CouturerPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Galeop · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséPublic building · protected 1895Musée Rupert de ChièvresPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Arseni Mourzenko · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséPresbytery · protected 1889Ancien doyenné Saint-HilairePhoto: Jules78120 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1889Hôtel Fumey ou FuméPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Benjamin Smith · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséPublic building · protected 1986Vestiges des thermes publics gallo-romains
Show the other 1
Town house · protected 1945Hôtel des Trois-PiliersPart of the building is protected
Inscrit
60 inscrit monuments in Poitiers
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared.
All 59, A to Z
Ancien Hôpital généralAncien hôtel Gilbert, actuel Tribunal administratif de PoitiersChantrerie Saint-HilaireChapelle du Sacré-CoeurChapelle Sainte-Croix (vestiges de l'ancienne)Chapitre de Saint-HilaireChâteau d'eauChâteau La MinauderieEchevinage (ancien)Église Saint-CyprienÉglise Saint-Germain (ancienne)Église Saint-Paul (restes de l'ancienne)Église Saint-Savin (ancienne)Eglise Sainte-Thérèse - Sainte-Jeanne-d'ArcFontaine en pierre sur les bords du Clain, près du pont JoubertGrand Prieuré d'AquitaineHôpital des ChampsHôtel BerthelotHôtel de Dreux-BrézéHôtel de Nieul (ancien)Hôtel de villeHôtel du Grand Prieuré d'AquitaineHôtel Joulard-d'Iversais (ancien)Hôtel VantageHôtel VetaultImmeuble, 10 rue des Balances-d'OrImmeuble, 11 place Charles-de-GaulleImmeuble, 13 rue de la CelleImmeuble, 2 rue du Marché-Notre-DameImmeuble, 34 rue Arsène-OrillardImmeuble, 36 rue Arsène-OrillardImmeuble, 42 rue RabelaisImmeuble, 61 rue CarnotImmeuble, 76 rue de la CathédraleLogis de VaumoretLogis dit de la Grande-BarreLycée privé des FeuillantsMaison dite du Plan de l'Etoile ou encore Hôtel ChaboureauMaison romaneMaison, 10 rue d'ArgentMaison, 15 rue Cloche-PerseMaison, 16 rue de la ChaîneMaison, 19 rue Cloche-PerseMaison, 23, 25 rue de l'Ancienne-ComédieMaison, 24 rue de l'Ancienne-ComédieMaison, 24bis rue Saint-DenisMaison, 25 rue du Marché-Notre-DameMaison, 3 rue BarbatteMaison, 3 rue du Colonel-DenfertMaison, 34 rue du Pigeon-BlancMaison, 39 rue Cloche-PerseMaison, 4 rue Arthur-de-la-MauvinièreMaison, 54 rue Arsène-OrillardMaison, 6 rue Saint-FortunatMaison, 6 rue Saint-MaixentMaison, 9 rue du Général-BertonMaison, Grande-Rue 79Prévôté (ancienne)Prison (ancienne)
28 more, named only by their kind
28 more are named in the list only by their kind: 18 houses (maisons), 9 buildings (immeubles) and 1 other, most from the 16th century. The 27 with an address are in the list above, by it.
15th c.8
16th c.13
17th c.1
18th c.3
19th c.1
undated2
What’s protected
Most of Poitiers’ monuments are houses and homes
Each monument under the main domain Mérimée gives it.
Houses & homes49
Religious buildings17
Public & civic12
Tombs & cemeteries2
Bridges & engineering2
Houses & homes: 49 of 85 monuments (58%). 17 are religious buildings, 8 of them classé.
Mérimée files each monument under one main domain: a château with its chapel counts once. 3 have no domain on the list.
How old
How old Poitiers’ monuments are
Each monument once, by the oldest part the list dates.
Prehistory & Antiquity to the 4th c.4
Middle Ages 5th–15th c.29
16th to 18th century Renaissance to Revolution35
19th century 1801–19005
20th century and later since 19012
33 of 75 dated monuments have parts from before 1500. The oldest dated: Dolmen dit La Pierre-Levée (Prehistory). 10 monuments have no date on the list.
When protected
Poitiers’ list has grown since 1840
Monuments by the year they were first protected.
1931 · 8
1840186018801900192019401960198020002020
First protected, in 1840: Église Notre-Dame-la-Grande, Église Saint-Hilaire and Église Saint-Jean de Montierneuf. That was France’s first list of monuments historiques, drawn up in Prosper Mérimée’s time as inspector. 8 were protected in 1931 alone. 2 have been added since 2011.
Born before 1900
91 people born in Poitiers before 1900
The 20 best known on the line, and eight of them below.
Hilaire de Poitiers
Emmeran de Ratisbonne
Pétronille d'Aquitaine
Claude Chauchetière
Louis Gauffier
Antoine Claire Thibaudeau
Pierre Charles Pouzet
Pierre Adolphe Piorry
Olivier Bourbeau
Elme-Marie Caro
Arthur Ranc
Édouard Gruner
Émile Garçon
Fernand Fau
Émile Moreau
Lucien Nonguet
Louis Vierne
Camille Guérin
Louise Saumoneau
Marcel Boulestin
3004506007509001050120013501500165018001950
HP
Hilaire de Poitiers315–367 · Bishop of Poitiers (c. 310 – c. 367)
ER
Emmeran de Ratisbonne600–652 · Bishop and martyr
Pd
Pétronille d'Aquitaine1125– · French noble, sister of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine
CC
Claude Chauchetière1645–1709 · French Jesuit missionary and painter
LG
Louis Gauffier1762–1801 · French artist
AC
Antoine Claire Thibaudeau1765–1854 · French local historian and politician
PC
Pierre Charles Pouzet1766–1809 · French officer
PA
Pierre Adolphe Piorry1794–1879 · French physician
Everyone born in Poitiers Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Towns its size
Poitiers has the 6th most monuments of 41 towns its size
Compared French towns of 74,400 to 109,400 residents, by historic monuments.
Poitiers85
#5 of 41for monuments per resident (9.5 per 10,000). Most per resident: La Rochelle, Nancy and Avignon.
The median town of these has 9. 1 of the 41 have none.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Poitiers
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poitiers | 89,916 | 85 | 25 | Yes |
| Buxerolles | 10,289 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Saint-Benoît | 7,375 | 3 | 2 | — |
| Mignaloux-Beauvoir | 5,229 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Vouneuil-sous-Biard | 6,290 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Migné-Auxances | 6,285 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Ligugé | 3,444 | 4 | 1 | — |
In brief
Poitiers in brief
The record in Poitiers starts with Dolmen dit La Pierre-Levée, which dates from prehistory. All told, the list holds 85 historic monuments, 25 of them classé, including Église Saint-Jean de Montierneuf. Its old center has been a secteur sauvegardé since 1966. Église Saint-Hilaire is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For its size, it has more historic monuments than 84% of compared French towns. Église Saint-Porchaire sits at the heart of it all, with 11 of the town’s classé monuments within 400 m. In 2025 the Mission Patrimoine picked Église Notre-Dame-la-Grande as a monument in danger to save. The rest is about typical: 10% of its homes were built before 1919, close to the 7.4% in the median compared French town.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Poitiers
How many historic monuments are there in Poitiers?
The Culture ministry lists 85 historic monuments in Poitiers: 25 classé and 60 inscrit.
Which monuments in Poitiers are classé?
25, among them Dolmen dit La Pierre-Levée, Vestiges des thermes publics gallo-romains, Baptistère Saint-Jean, Hypogée des Dunes, Église Notre-Dame-la-Grande and Église Saint-Hilaire.
How old are the monuments of Poitiers?
The oldest parts of its listed monuments date from prehistory.
Is Poitiers a protected historic area?
Yes: part of Poitiers has been a site patrimonial remarquable since 1966.
When were monuments in Poitiers first protected?
The first in 1840, the latest in 2018.
How old are the homes in Poitiers?
10% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 9, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.