The most beautiful religious buildings Châteaux de la Loire

It is necessary to climb a little to reach this splendid Romanesque church built in the 11th and 12th centuries. You will discover a magnificent polychrome sculpture of characters and animals from the bestiary of the Middle Ages as well as two pyramids, called "dubes". These, as well as the Romanesque portal and the stained glass windows, have just been restored. The Collegiate Church contains the tomb of Agnes Sorel and possibly that of Ludovico Sforza, patron of Leonardo da Vinci. After archaeological excavations in 2019 and 2021, DNA research should confirm the probabilities (90%).

This romanesque church of the eleventh century was built from stone from an older building. This characteristic gives the church a unique and rather original look. Treasure of Romanesque art, the church opens in the west by a belfry-doorway from square shape, it is one of the major singularities of the building. The other glory of Saint-Genest, its wall paintings date from the 12c, the 13th and 14th centuries. Le Christ in Majesty is undoubtedly a single work. The priory of Saint-Genest houses the town hall Lavardin today.

The belltower-porch which dates back to the 11th century is the oldest part of this church, part of which was knocked down by a hurricane in the 13th century. Originally romanesque basilica, Saint-Julien is then rebuilt in the Gothic style. The two small chapels on either side of the chancel date from the 16th century. After the Revolution, Saint-Julien is abandoned and fall in ruins. It will be restored in the 19th century under the leadership of Prosper Mérimée, inspector of Historical Monuments. In 1859, you will find its primary purpose. If it is sinking so compared to the adjacent streets, it is because it was built before the walls of the Loire are raised, due to the risk of flood. During the Second World War, in an extremely exposed area however, the church has miraculously escaped the bombing in which destroyed the district mainly.

Today, concerts are often organised in this pretty building.

They are twenty-eight, churches or chapels, to open their doors to the visitor. In each of them, a visit document presents the history of the sites, details the most important elements and a particular theme close to the building. The closest to them, from Saint-Florent-le-Vieux: The Mesnil-en-Vallée (church Notre-Dame and Notre-Dame chapel open every day from 8 a. m. to 19 p. m.), Montjean-sur-Loire (Saint-Symphorien church open every day from 9 a. m. to 17 p. m., Chapel Saint-Aubin, contact the Tourist Office), La Varenne-sur-Loire (Saint-Pierre church open every day) from 10 p. m. to 20 p. m., Le Pin-en-Mauges (Saint-Pavin church open daily from 9 a. m. to 18 p. m.).

In Maine-et-Loire, the objective of welcoming churches is to discover this part of the religious heritage. The churches involved facilitate access to the building (open door or key to be recovered from a neighbour), make available a document on history and architecture and improve the presentation (for example, musical lighting or background). Northern Churches Saumurois which are part of the network: The church Saint-Doucelin in Allonnes, Notre-Dame church in Blou, the Saint-Maurille church in Brain-sur-Allonnes. Information: 02 41 52 87 40. Saumurois Tourism Office at Brain-sur-Allonnes.

Former chapel of the castle, the collegiate church is located within its walls but is accessible by a bridge. It is one of the most prestigious religious buildings of the 15th century in Anjou, specific of the Angevin Gothic style. The church is composed of a 44 meters long and 12 meters wide vessel, and a 18 meters high vault. There is an oratory from which the lord attended the services in all discretion. This church has been classified as a historical monument since 1907.

This majestic edifice, built on top of a limestone hillock, rises to 106 metres and rests on the foundations of an ancient Romanesque church. Eleanor of Aquitaine ordered its construction in the first half of the 13th century, and it was built in one go, something extremely rare for the time when works were generally built bit by bit, often requiring several centuries to complete. The collegiate church is inspired by the plan of Poitiers cathedral, which also has three very slender naves. The church thus offers a mixture of Poitevin and Angevin Gothic styles. An architectural and artistic ensemble that can also be admired at night, when the site is illuminated by beautiful ground lighting. Named collegiate church since 1478, when Louis XI instituted a college of canons, the interior has very beautiful 16th century sculpted stalls as well as a painting of the Assumption by Jean Boucher. There is also a relic, "the belt of the Virgin", a piece of cloth brought back from the crusades which was often believed to have the power to promote fertility and the birth of male children. For this reason, the building became a popular place of pilgrimage on the route to Santiago de Compostela. A staircase allows you to discover the frame and the surrounding panorama. If you have time, a visit to the village gives you the opportunity to discover several 15th and 16th century houses.

There are various reasons why visitors should enter the abbey. There is the panoramic view of the bocage. There is the site, with its beautiful stained glass windows, statues and reliquaries. There is also the desire to spend some personal time in the atmosphere of the monastery. Here lives a community of about thirty Cistercian nuns whose days are punctuated by prayer and work. They welcome those who wish to join them in prayer.

The Protestant Temple is remarkable for its architecture. Anyone who passes through the streets of Burgundy cannot miss him and remain indifferent to him. It is the work of the architect Orléanais François Narcisse Pagot, and was built at the site of the former church Saint-Pierre-Empont, to be inaugurated on 2 May 1839. It is a building of circular central plane, formerly covered by a dome. This rotunda has a diameter of 14,80 m. It opens with a portail ion order portal. The whole is crowned with ionic entablature, decorated with triglyphes and métopes, the latter decorated with rayons à. The interior design is mainly designed in wood and has an organ installed at the opening of the Temple but completely replaced in 1964. The Temple is classified Historic Monuments. Website: www.erf-orleans.org