Eglise paroissiale Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise paroissiale Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais, located in Savonnières (Indre-et-Loire), 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
- Savonnières, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.3478, 0.5453
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098102
The Romanesque jewel of the Loire Valley, the church of Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais in Savonnières features a Poitevin-inspired side portal full of chimeras and a rare hexagonal Gothic bell tower.
© Wikimedia Commons
History
In the heart of the village of Savonnières, a few kilometres from Tours, the church of Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais stands as an intact testimony to the architectural vitality of medieval Touraine. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1973, it offers attentive visitors a condensed version of the finest Romanesque art of the Loire Valley: sober volumes, discreetly rich ornamentation, and the constant dialogue between white stone and golden light that characterises the buildings of the Loire Valley. What immediately sets this church apart in the regional architectural landscape is the exceptional quality of its Poitevin-inspired side portal. Its three voussoirs are overflowing with an abundance of iconography: generously scrolled acanthus leaves, chimeras with eyes frozen in stone, grimacing demons and fantastic animals from the medieval imagination. This sculpted bestiary, rare in Indre-et-Loire, bears witness to the influences from Poitou that permeated the stonemasons' workshops in the 12th century. Inside, there are more surprises in store. The third bay of the north aisle is covered with an Angevin vault on ogives and liernes, a structural curiosity that highlights the artistic exchanges between the two provinces on the banks of the Loire. The apse and apsidal chapel retain their cul-de-four vaults, a primitive and reassuring form that plunges the eye towards a calm stone horizon. The bell tower, meanwhile, is original, with its hexagonal Gothic plan grafted onto a square Romanesque base: a harmonious and unexpected meeting of two architectural souls. The setting in which you visit the church adds to its enchantment. Savonnières, a wine-growing and troglodytic village on the south bank of the Cher, offers an unspoilt environment in the vicinity of the church, far from the tourist crowds of the great châteaux of the Loire. A stop here, combined with the village's famous caves and perrières, makes for a memorable day out for lovers of authentic heritage.
Architecture
The church of Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais belongs to the Loire Romanesque style of the second half of the 12th century, enriched by influences from Poitou and Anjou, which can be seen in the details of its layout. The primitive plan, based around a single nave and a north aisle, reflects the sobriety of the rural ecclesiastical programmes of the period, without sacrificing careful ornamentation at the key points of the building. The most spectacular feature is the Poitevin-inspired side portal, a veritable sculpted encyclopaedia of medieval bestiary. Its three concentric voussoirs display a dense iconographic programme: acanthus leaves with nervous scrolls, chimeras with hybrid bodies, grimacing demons and fantastic animals taken from the illuminated bestiaries that circulated in the monastic scriptoria. The quality of the carving and the liveliness of the figures bear witness to an experienced workshop, familiar with the major sculpture projects in Romanesque Poitou. Inside, the variety of vaulting solutions will catch the eye of any architecture enthusiast. The third bay of the north aisle is covered by an Angevin vault on ogives and liernes, a structural device characteristic of neighbouring Anjou. The apse of the choir and the apsidal chapel of the side chapel retain their cul-de-four vaults, an ancestral hemispherical shape that diffuses a soft, reflective light. Lastly, the bell tower is a notable original: built into the last southern right-hand pillar, its upper part has a Gothic hexagonal plan that contrasts with the square Romanesque base, creating a unique silhouette in the bell tower landscape of Indre-et-Loire. The south aisle and its absidiole, added at the end of the 19th century in the neo-Romanesque style, complete the building without betraying its spirit.
Related Figures
Hugues, archevêque de Tours (concède l'église à l'abbaye de Toussaint d'Angers en 1138)Chanoines de l'abbaye de Toussaint d'Angers (gestionnaires de la paroisse à partir de 1138)Maîtres maçons poitevins du XIIe siècle (auteurs présumés du portail sculpté)Architecte néo-roman de la fin du XIXe siècle (auteur du bas-côté sud et de la chapelle absidiole)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise paroissiale Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais located?
Eglise paroissiale Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais is located in Savonnières, Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Eglise paroissiale Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais built?
Eglise paroissiale Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Eglise paroissiale Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais open to visitors?
Eglise paroissiale Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais is currently closed to visitors.