Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Aventin is a religious building located in the hamlet of Verrières, away from the village, in the department of the Aube (Great East). It is dedicated to Saint Aventin, a hermit who lived on this site in the sixth century. This place of worship, mentioned for the first time in 1152 in a cartular of the cathedral of Troyes, then belonged to the Grand Dean of this city, under the collation of the bishop. Its architecture reflects two major periods: a Romanesque origin in the 12th century and significant changes in the 16th century, as evidenced by a stained glass window dated 1557.

The chapel has undergone several modifications over the centuries. Its bell tower was damaged by lightning in 1720, and work was undertaken in the 19th century to adapt the building. Its structure consists of a rectangular sanctuary, a larger nave also rectangular, and a porch, all covering a total length of 20.85 meters. The nave retains an original wooden vault, and a "miraculous" source is associated with the site, although this tradition is more a local legend.

The furnishings of the chapel include remarkable elements, such as a 16th-century limestone statue of Christ, a 13th-century statue of Adventin, as well as glass windows of the 15th and 16th centuries. Of these windows, bays 5 and 6 represent biblical scenes, such as the Annunciation, surrounded by plant ornaments. These works illustrate the artistic and religious importance of the place. The chapel was protected as a historical monument by a decree of 7 May 1926, thus recognizing its heritage value.

Recent archaeological excavations, carried out in particular in 2016, brought new data on the funeral space around the old parish church. This research, published in the Bulletin of the Centre for Medieval Studies, highlights the continuing historical interest of the site. Today, the chapel remains a testimony of the architectural and spiritual evolutions of the region, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

External links