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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-Lorette chapel, located in Saint-Épain in Indre-et-Loire, is a troglodytic hermitage composed of a chapel and a house dug in the rock. Troglodytic structures date from the 15th century, while the chapel is mentioned only from the 19th century. The site, established in the valley of Courtineau, is close to an old quarry of yellow tuft and a source dedicated to Saint Mark, feeding a fountain. The house, entirely cut into the rock, consists of two rooms partitioned by an external wall with door and window. The chapel, almost entirely carved, has a vault adorned with a cross and carved arcades, one of which carries a shield supported by two angels symbolizing the Trinity.

A popular legend, unverified, evokes a refuge of Joan of Arc in this hermitage on his journey between Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois and Chinon in 1429, although this crossing by Saint-Épain remains debated. The chapel would have been built by a hermit in the late 15th or early 16th century. The site has undergone three phases of construction: 15th century for the house, 16th century for an extension, and 19th century for subsequent developments. The first written mention of the chapel dates from 1822, in an act of the city of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine.

The chapel and the troglodytic house were included in the additional inventory of historical monuments by ministerial decree of 21 October 1954. The site has long been a place of pilgrimage, especially every first Sunday in October. The southern part of the chapel, not dug, is a rectangular masonry structure housing the altar, added during a second phase of construction. The lintel of the chapel is surmounted by an inverted crescent, and the interior walls are decorated with religious sculptures, including a representation of the Trinity.

The site is located at La Grange aux Dimes, on the southeast edge of Saint-Épain, near Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine. The rocks of the site, formed from the upper Turonian, were exploited in an adjacent ancient trapezoidal quarry. The hermitage, though modest, illustrates the troglodytic architecture typical of the region, mixing rocky digging and masonry. Its inscription as a historic monument underscores its heritage interest, linked to its religious history, its local legends and its unique architecture.

The troglodytic structures of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, although partially modified over the centuries, retain remarkable medieval elements, such as arches in the middle of the wall and symbolic sculptures. The site, now protected, bears witness to the hermitic life and devout practices of the Touraine, while being part of a rich geological and historical landscape. His association with Joan d'Arc, although unproven, contributes to his legendary aura and his cultural appeal.

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