Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-du-Champdé chapel, located in Châteaudun in the department of Eure-et-Loir, is a former Catholic religious building whose facade today remains only. This vestige, dating from the 15th century, marks the end of the Gothic period by its richly worked portal. The façade, the only preserved part, now serves as an entrance to the Champdé cemetery, reflecting the re-use of historical monuments in modern urban planning.

Classified as historical monuments by order of 3 February 1879, this chapel illustrates the heritage interest in medieval buildings since the late 19th century. The photographs of Séraphin-Médéric Miéuseusement, taken in March 1887, reveal that the republican motto "Freedom, Equality, Fraternity" was then inscribed on his pediment, reflecting the tensions between religious heritage and symbols of the Third Republic. This detail highlights the political and cultural dimension of monuments during this period.

The Notre-Dame-du-Champdé chapel is a typical example of the small rural religious constructions of the Centre-Val de Loire. His portal, described as a masterpiece of the late Gothic, attracts the attention of architectural historians. Although partially destroyed, its early protection (1879) made it one of the first classified monuments of Eure-et-Loir, alongside other major buildings in the region.

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