Ancienne aumônerie
MonumentHidden Treasure
Ancienne aumônerie, located in Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois (Indre-et-Loire), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.1573, 0.6541
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098063
Built in 1415 to accommodate destitute pilgrims, this medieval chaplaincy at Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois could have been home to Joan of Arc on her way to Chinon - a modest building steeped in extraordinary history.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the peaceful market town of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois, in the Indre-et-Loire region, stands a discreet building that you could almost miss round the corner: the former chaplaincy, built at the very beginning of the 15th century to offer shelter and comfort to pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Saint Catherine. Behind its sober façade and high roof, characteristic of medieval architecture in Touraine, this building conceals a considerable amount of historical and spiritual significance. What makes this place truly unique is the tenuous but deeply moving link that unites it with one of the most famous figures in French history: Joan of Arc. In February 1429, La Pucelle d'Orléans passed through this village on her way to Chinon to meet the Dauphin Charles. She could have found refuge within these very walls, among the anonymous pilgrims who took shelter here every night. This proximity to history gives the building a special, almost tangible aura. The experience of visiting the chaplaincy is above all an invitation to contemplation and imagination. While the interior has undergone transformations over the centuries, the building's exterior volume - with its massive ground floor crowned by a high roof - remains faithful to the spirit of medieval charitable architecture. The proportions of the building still reveal its original vocation as a place of welcome, human warmth and Christian solidarity. The village of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois provides an exceptional backdrop to the visit. The nearby parish church, also closely linked to the Johannine legend - it was here that Joan's sword was miraculously unearthed behind the altar - and the chaplaincy make up a remarkably coherent heritage complex. A stroll through this village is like walking in the footsteps of a medieval pilgrimage that is still very much alive.
Architecture
The former chaplaincy of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois has the typical massing of medieval guest houses in the Touraine region: an elongated building with a single ground floor, topped by a high, steeply pitched roof that is the most distinctive architectural feature of the complex. This imposing roof, typical of 15th-century civil architecture in the Loire Valley, reflects a concern to maximise the usable interior space under the roofs, where pilgrims could find a place to sleep overnight. The sober, functional exterior reflects the building's charitable purpose, devoid of the ornamentation typical of religious or seigneurial architecture of the same period. The walls, probably made of tufa rubble - a soft limestone widely used in the Chinonais and Touraine regions - are in keeping with the local building tradition, with its interplay of light and warm colours. The small openings provide sufficient light without compromising the robustness of the building. Unfortunately, the interior has been completely altered over the centuries, leaving nothing of its original medieval layout. We can only assume that there was a large common room on the ground floor, used to welcome pilgrims and serve them meals, and a dormitory in the attic, which is typical of well-documented medieval chaplaincies in France. Despite these alterations, the building as a whole remains an authentic example of early 15th-century charitable architecture.
Related Figures
Jeanne d'Arc — La Pucelle d'Orléans aurait séjourné dans l'aumônerie lors de son passage à Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois en février 1429, avant de rejoindre Chinon pour rencontrer le dauphin Charles.Charles VII — Le dauphin de France, que Jeanne d'Arc s'apprêtait à rejoindre à Chinon lors de son passage supposé par l'aumônerie.Fondateurs anonymes — Seigneurs locaux ou chanoines de la collégiale ayant financé la construction de l'aumônerie en 1415 pour accueillir les pèlerins du sanctuaire de sainte Catherine.Sainte Catherine d'Alexandrie — Martyre chrétienne du IVe siècle dont le culte à Fierbois attirait les foules de pèlerins que l'aumônerie était destinée à héberger.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ancienne aumônerie located?
Ancienne aumônerie is located in Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois, Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Ancienne aumônerie built?
Ancienne aumônerie dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Ancienne aumônerie open to visitors?
Ancienne aumônerie is currently closed to visitors.