Eglise Notre-Dame
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Notre-Dame, located in Mesland (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
- Mesland, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.5102, 1.1226
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098488
Founded in 1060, the church of Notre-Dame de Mesland boasts an exceptional Romanesque portal, each keystone of which bears a sculpted face - a masterpiece of Loire Romanesque art that has been listed as a Historic Monument.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
Nestling in the heart of the village of Mesland, in the heart of the Loire Valley, Notre-Dame church is one of those Romanesque nuggets that the Loir-et-Cher region has in store for curious travellers. Discreet in its blond stone setting, it nonetheless conceals an architectural treasure of remarkable finesse: a 12th-century portal whose carving, key by key, is a veritable open-air stone book. What makes Notre-Dame de Mesland truly unique is the density of its sculpted ornamentation concentrated in a small space. Unlike the great cathedrals, where the decor is diluted by immensity, here everything is within easy reach. The full arch archivolts are superimposed in concentric crowns, each composed of individually sculpted keystones with flat heads and striking expressions - human faces, grimacing masks, apotropaic figures. This unique sculpting technique, which turns each stone into an autonomous work of art, bears witness to exceptional craftsmanship. The tour is an invitation to slow contemplation. Linger over the capitals of the four columns framing the portal, where griffins with outstretched wings and grimacing heads interact in a rich medieval bestiary. The interior, sober and restrained, offers the perfect counterpoint to this profusion of ornamentation on the outside: a single nave bathed in filtered light, a slightly narrower chancel, and a flat chevet of Cistercian austerity. The square bell tower, planted on one of the choir's bays, punctuates the building's silhouette with its semi-circular bays punctuated by a columned arcature. Mesland lies at the heart of a renowned AOC vineyard, in the gentle Touraine way of life that Rabelais so enthusiastically celebrated. The church is set in an area of hills and troglodytic cellars, between Amboise and Blois, which invites visitors to extend their visit by exploring the Loire Valley in all its rich heritage and gastronomic delights. For the photographer, the golden morning light sublimating the sculptures in the portal is a rare moment.
Architecture
The church of Notre-Dame de Mesland has a rigorously clear Romanesque plan: a single nave, wide and high, extended by a slightly narrower chancel, finished with a flat chevet. This sobriety of plan contrasts with the decorative richness of the western portal, creating an expressive tension characteristic of the best works of rural Romanesque art. The square bell tower, built into one of the choir's bays, has semi-circular arched windows and is punctuated by a blind arcade with colonnettes, the shafts of which were partially rebuilt during later restoration work. The western portal is the centrepiece of the building. It is organised around concentric semi-circular archivolts, the outstanding feature of which lies in the treatment of each keystone as an independent sculpture: flat heads - human, fantastical, grimacing - are carved individually, creating the effect of a petrified crowd framing the entrance to the sanctuary. The apotropaic function of these figures (to protect the sacred threshold from evil forces) is part of an iconographic tradition that is widespread in Romanesque art, but rarely executed with such systematic attention to detail. The four colonnettes framing the portal bear historiated capitals of the highest quality: griffins with outstretched wings and grinning heads make up a strikingly expressive medieval bestiary. The materials used, probably fine-grained local Blésois limestone, allowed the sculptors to achieve remarkable precision in their carving, which has been preserved despite nine centuries of exposure to the elements.
Related Figures
Arcisse de Caumont — érudit normand fondateur de la Société Française d'Archéologie, dont les travaux au XIXe siècle ont contribué à faire connaître et protéger les églises romanes du Val de LoireHenri Ier — roi de France (1031-1060) sous le règne duquel l'église est fondée, dans un contexte de renouveau religieux et architecturalThibaut III de Blois — comte de Blois au XIIe siècle, seigneur suzerain du territoire de Mesland lors de la construction du portail sculptéLes maîtres tailleurs de pierre anonymes — artisans du XIIe siècle dont le génie collectif a produit le portail à claveaux individuellement sculptés
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Notre-Dame located?
Eglise Notre-Dame is located in Mesland, Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Eglise Notre-Dame built?
Eglise Notre-Dame dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Eglise Notre-Dame open to visitors?
Eglise Notre-Dame is currently closed to visitors.