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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Martin of Ligré, mentioned from the twelfth century under the name ecclesia of Ligro in a charter of the abbey of Notre-Dame de Beaumont-lès-Tours, then belonged to the abbey of Saint-Paul de Cormery. This possession is attested by a pontifical bubble of Alexander III in 1180, confirming his attachment to this abbey as well as to the priory of the Roches-Saint-Paul, located in the same parish. The oldest structures of the building, still visible at the base of the bell tower, date from this Romanesque period.

In the 15th century, the church underwent major changes, including the reconstruction of the bell tower, which nevertheless retained 12th century masonries at its base. On August 2, 1876, a fire ravaged the nave, resulting in its total reconstruction in a modern style, while the other parts (transe, choir and bell tower) were preserved. These ancient elements are listed in historical monuments by order of 18 June 1962.

The building presents a Latin cross plan, with a modern nave flanked by polygonal turrets, a arched transept in the middle of the hangar, and a choir ending in semicircular apse. The bell tower, dominating the cross of the transept, has an octagonal stone arrow decorated with pinnacles and a clock whose mechanism, installed in the twentieth century, has been protected since 1999. The lateral apsidioles and the eight-sided dome of the cross bear witness to the architectural complexity of the site.

The church, owned by the municipality of Ligré, remains a notable example of the Tourangeau religious heritage, mixing Romanesque heritage, Gothic additions and 19th century restorations. Its history reflects the close links between local abbeys and rural parishes in the Middle Ages, as well as the hazards of its conservation throughout the centuries.

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