Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil, located in Montrichard (Loir-et-Cher), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Montrichard, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.3433, 1.1752
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098514
The Romanesque jewel of the Loire Valley, Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil church in Montrichard features capitals with fantastic figures and vaults decorated with royal escutcheons, silent witnesses to the Capetian wars.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
Nestling in the heart of Montrichard, in the heart of the Loire region of Touraine, the church of Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil is one of those buildings that you discover with increasing surprise: modest in appearance, it conceals a rare historical and artistic depth. Listed as a historic monument since 1846 - one of the first protection lists in France - it bears witness to the medieval architectural vitality of this region at the crossroads of Romanesque and Gothic influences. What makes Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil truly unique is the harmonious coexistence of several periods under one roof. The twelfth-century Romanesque nave is in dialogue with the late Gothic chapels attributed to Louis XI, while the vaults still display remarkably fresh royal coats of arms and crowned figures. This palimpsest of stone tells the story of several centuries of French history, from the Capetian reconquest to the devotions of the last Valois. A visit is a must for lovers of Romanesque sculpture: the capitals, adorned with fantastic creatures with striking expressions - hybrid beings, stylised plants, expressive faces - are among the most interesting in the Loir-et-Cher. Each basket of capitals is a world in itself, a medieval cosmology sculpted in the local tufa stone with astonishing mastery. The surroundings add to the charm of the visit: Montrichard is a small medieval town dominated by its 11th-century keep, on the banks of the Cher. The church fits into this historic urban landscape with a discretion matched only by the richness of its interior decoration. Photographers and history buffs will find plenty here to enjoy, far from the crowds of the great cathedrals of the Loire.
Architecture
The layout of Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil is typical of Romanesque churches in the Middle Loire: a main nave flanked by aisles, a slightly raised east-facing choir and side chapels added as projections during the Gothic campaigns of the 15th century. The whole structure is built of tuffeau, the soft, white limestone typical of the Touraine and Blésois regions, which is easy to carve but susceptible to erosion, and which gives the buildings of the Loire Valley their special luminosity. The Romanesque masonry is distinguished by the careful alignment of its regular courses, contrasting with the lightness of the Gothic ribs in the chapels. The most remarkable feature of the building is undoubtedly its Romanesque sculptural programme, concentrated on the capitals of the nave and choir. These baskets reveal a fantastic bestiary of great inventiveness: hybrid creatures half-man half-beast, interlacing foliage inhabited by grimacing figures, confronting birds with outstretched wings. This iconographic repertoire, typical of Romanesque art in the first half of the 12th century, bears witness to the high quality of the sculptors' workshops, which may have been itinerant and active in the region under the influence of the major sites in Vendôme and Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher. The vaults, decorated with coats of arms bearing the royal arms of France and crowned figures, are a valuable historical document of Capetian patronage in the region. The later Gothic chapels are more pared-back, revealing a taste for the simple ribbed vaults and tier-point bays characteristic of Loire architecture at the end of the 15th century.
Related Figures
Philippe Auguste — roi de France (1180-1223), conquérant de Montrichard sur les Plantagenêts, probable mécène de la reconstruction de l'égliseHenri II Plantagenêt — roi d'Angleterre (1154-1189), dont les guerres contre Philippe Auguste entraînèrent les destructions qui précédèrent la reconstruction romaneLouis XI — roi de France (1461-1483), à qui la tradition attribue la construction des chapelles gothiques de l'égliseProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des monuments historiques, dont l'action aboutit au classement de l'église dès 1846
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil located?
Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil is located in Montrichard, Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil built?
Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil open to visitors?
Eglise Notre-Dame-de-Nanteuil is currently closed to visitors.