Eglise Notre-Dame la Blanche
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Notre-Dame la Blanche, located in Selles-sur-Cher (Loir-et-Cher), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Selles-sur-Cher, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.2752, 1.5542
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098598
Founded according to legend by Childebert I in the 6th century, the church of Notre-Dame la Blanche in Selles-sur-Cher fascinates visitors with its Romanesque frieze illustrating the life of Saint Eusice, a sculpted jewel of rare intensity.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of the town of Selles-sur-Cher, in the Loir-et-Cher region where Sologne meets Touraine, the church of Notre-Dame la Blanche stands as a thousand-year-old testament to faith and resistance. Its name evokes the whiteness of the local limestone, the soft tufa that catches the light at different times of the day, giving the building a luminous, almost supernatural presence at dusk. What makes this monument truly unique is the sculpted frieze that encircles the outer choir: a Romanesque iconographic programme of exceptional finesse, narrating episode by episode the life of Saint Eusice, a thaumaturgist monk from the 6th century. Few rural churches in France can boast such an open-air sculpted decoration, handed down to the centuries without having been altered by clumsy restorations. The visitor's experience is that of a dialogue between the ages: they pass from the Merovingian choir, charged with an almost mystical gravity, to the Romanesque nave rebuilt in the 11th century by Count Thibault II, then to the 16th-century wooden panelling, a discreet but eloquent vestige of the destruction caused during the Wars of Religion. Each layer tells the story of a wound or a rebirth. The setting, for its part, is not to be outdone. Selles-sur-Cher is a peaceful village on the banks of the Cher, surrounded by vineyards producing a renowned AOC goat's cheese. The church blends into the modest urban fabric, paradoxically highlighting its age and historical density. A must for anyone travelling up the Cher valley to discover its hidden treasures.
Architecture
The church of Notre-Dame la Blanche is in the Romanesque style, with a simple longitudinal plan comprising a clearly distinct nave and chancel, whose origins and construction history differ by several centuries. The choir, considered to be the oldest part of the building, is the centrepiece of the ensemble: a Romanesque sculpted frieze running around the perimeter, depicting in narrative bas-reliefs the episodes in the life of Saint Eusice. This type of continuous iconographic programme, treated with an expressiveness typical of 12th-century Romanesque art, is a rarity in a rural setting. The figures are treated with sobriety and strength, in a style reminiscent of the sculptors' workshops active in Berry and southern Touraine at the time. The nave, rebuilt in the 11th century on the initiative of Thibault II, adopts the characteristics of Romanesque architecture in the Loire region: thick walls in limestone medium bond, narrow windows with simple splaying, powerful rhythm of the supports. The roof, which has undoubtedly been altered several times, now covers a nave whose austere interior is tempered by the plank panelling that has covered the chancel since the 16th century, a direct result of the destruction caused by the Wars of Religion. This wooden ceiling, unusual in a Romanesque choir, creates a striking and melancholy contrast with the carved stone of the walls.
Related Figures
Childebert Ier — roi franc mérovingien, fondateur légendaire de l'église au VIe siècleSaint Eusice — moine thaumaturge du VIe siècle, saint patron de l'église, dont la vie est représentée sur la friseGrégoire de Tours — évêque et historien, source littéraire principale sur la fondation de l'égliseThibault II de Blois — comte de Blois et de Chartres, fit relever la nef en 1015Gaspard de Coligny — amiral huguenot, pillage l'église en 1562 et détruit la voûte du chœurProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, sous l'impulsion de qui l'édifice fut classé dès 1862
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Notre-Dame la Blanche located?
Eglise Notre-Dame la Blanche is located in Selles-sur-Cher, Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Eglise Notre-Dame la Blanche built?
Eglise Notre-Dame la Blanche dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Eglise Notre-Dame la Blanche open to visitors?
Eglise Notre-Dame la Blanche is currently closed to visitors.