ChurchHistoric SiteRomanesque Architecture
Collegiate Church of Saint-Aignan, Saint-Aignan
Saint-Aignan›Loir-et-Cher›Centre-Val de Loire›Western France›France
4.6(115 reviews)
30min
30min
Free Entry
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About Collegiate Church of Saint-Aignan
This Romanesque collegiate church sits on a rocky promontory above the town of Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, dominating the medieval townscape. 4-metre-high vaulted nave with four bays, side aisles, and three radiating chapels. The real highlight lies below: a lower church (crypt) dating partly to the 6th century, decorated with exceptional medieval wall paintings from the 11th to 14th centuries, including a Christ in Majesty in the central apse and scenes of the Resurrection of Lazarus.
During the French Revolution, the church was repurposed as a "Temple of Reason" and then sold as national property in 1795 for just 950 livres to a former priest. It was returned to religious use in 1800, but the crypt had been so thoroughly neglected that it served as stables and storage until its rediscovery and restoration in 1851.
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Day Routes
6h
Nearby Attractions
Must-See
Montrichard Old Town
Montrichard Val de Cher·17 km
Historic DistrictLandmarkOld Town+1 more
No rating
~1h
Must-See
Montrichard Old Town
Montrichard Val de Cher·17 km
Historic DistrictLandmarkOld Town+1 more
No rating
~1h