Eglise paroissiale Saint-Laurent
ChurchHidden Treasure
Discreet but tenacious, Saint-Laurent church in Charentilly unfolds eight centuries of Touraine history between its timber-framed porch, its Romanesque façade and its walls, which were enhanced in the 18th century.
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History
In the heart of the village of Charentilly, a few leagues north of Tours, Saint-Laurent church stands like a stone palimpsest: each century has left its mark on it, from the Romanesque choir of the 12th century to the discreet transformations of the modern era. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1947, it epitomises that category of rural monument that you discover almost by chance, and whose richness is revealed to those who take the time to linger. What makes Saint-Laurent so special is precisely the layering of its architectural layers. The first thing that catches your eye is the timber-framed porch that precedes the façade - a rare and precious feature in the Touraine parish landscape, reminiscent of the medieval practice of gathering in the porch before church. Then, as you walk along the south side, you come across a 16th-century doorway, an elegant vestige of the Renaissance in Touraine, framed by carefully-crafted stonework. The interior has a touchingly sober atmosphere. The single nave, enlarged to the north by a modern side aisle, is bathed in subdued light filtering through modest windows. The flat chevet - an architectural solution typical of medieval rural churches in the Loire Valley - lends the whole a soothing geometric rigour, a far cry from the apsidal choirs of the great cathedrals. The village setting adds to the charm of the place. Surrounded by its cemetery planted with lime trees, the church can be photographed from all angles, particularly in the late afternoon when the golden light of Touraine warms the white tufa stones. An ideal stop-off for lovers of rural heritage and authentic medieval architecture.
Architecture
The church of Saint-Laurent belongs to the type of Romanesque rural parish church with a single nave, a plan that became widespread in the Loire Valley countryside in the 12th and 13th centuries. The elongated plan ends in a flat apse, a sober and rational solution typical of Cistercian influences and the building traditions of northern Touraine, as opposed to the semicircular apses more common in Berry and Poitou. The nave is flanked on the north side by a side aisle added in modern times, which slightly disrupts the legibility of the original volume without detracting from the overall harmony of the building. The west facade is preceded by a timber-framed porch, the posts and runners of which are a remarkable example of traditional medieval joinery. This device, which filters the entrance to the sacred space, creates an architectural and symbolic transition between the secular world and the church. On the south side, a Renaissance doorway dating from the 16th century stands out for the quality of its design: its mouldings in the form of a doucine and its jambs carefully carved from the local tufa stone bear witness to craftsmen who were well aware of the stylistic innovations of their time. The heightening of the walls and gables in 1746 is perceptible in the texture of the masonry, where the newer stone stands out to the trained eye against the older, more weathered medieval courses. Inside, the nave is simple and bright, lit by small round-headed or straight-headed windows. The materials used are those of the local tradition: Touraine tufa for the facings, limestone rubble for the infill, and oak framework for the roof. The overall impression is one of honest construction and continuity of craftsmanship, which in itself is one of the main attractions of this monument.
Related Figures
Évêques successifs du diocèse de Tours, fondateurs et protecteurs des paroisses rurales médiévales de TouraineCurés de Charentilly (XVIe-XVIIIe siècles), artisans des campagnes de transformation et d'entretien de l'édificeMarguilliers et fabriciens de la paroisse au XVIIIe siècle, commanditaires de la surélévation de 1746Inspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (années 1940), responsables de l'instruction du dossier d'inscription de 1947Charpentiers et tailleurs de tuffeau tourangeaux (XIIe-XVIe siècles), bâtisseurs anonymes de l'édifice
