About Saint Radegonde:
Saint Radegonde, known as Sainte Radegonde in French, was born a princess, the daughter of the king of Thuringia. In about 531, she was captured by the Merovingian King Chlotar I (son of Clovis) during a raid against the Thuringians. Radegunda was educated at the court of Chlotar and eventually married the king. However, she is said to have hoped for martyrdom from an early age and the king complained of having a nun rather than a wife for his queen. She had a reputation as a humble and virtuous woman, tending to the poor and the sick despite her high station.
Eventually Radegunda secured her release from Chlotar and became a nun with the permission of Médard, bishop of Noyon. She later founded the nunnery of the Holy Cross at Poitiers. It was said that Radegunda performed numerous miracles and that Christ appeared to her a year before her death on August 13, 587.
About the Church of Sainte-Radegonde in Poitiers, France:
Dating from the 6th century, the Church of Sainte-Radegonde is a blend of both Gothic and Romanesque architecture. Saint Radegund is buried here in the church that bears her name. The church became a place of pilgrimage by those asking for her intercession.
The early church in which Radegunda was buried in Poitiers was destroyed in 877. The present building dates mostly from the 11th century (crypt, choir and west tower), with the Gothic nave and west doorway dating from the 13th through 15th centuries
Traveling to the Church of Sainte-Radegonde in Poitiers, France:
Located close to the Cathedral of Saint Peter, it is quite easy to find.
Address: 17 Rue du Pigeon Blanc, 86000 Poitiers, France
Tel: (+33) 5 49 41 23 76