Origin and history
The chapel Saint-Libert is an ancient Romanesque church of the twelfth century, located in the oldest district of Tours, partly built on the Gallo-Roman ramparts of the fourth century. Its nave, which has been listed as historic monuments since 1946, is the only remaining vestige after the disappearance of its bedside and bell tower. Disused in the 18th century, it was converted into an industrial and artisanal space before being bought in 2011 by the Société archéologique de Touraine (SAT), which restored it to its headquarters and a cultural place.
Archaeological excavations carried out between 2011 and 2013 revealed Gallo-Roman remains, including a portion of the ancient Cesarodunum wall, as well as traces of an earlier religious occupation, such as the foundations of an altar and a choir fence dating from the Carolingian period (between 940 and 1020). A 15th-century bishop statue, buried ritually, and a medieval bell foundry were also discovered. However, the early history of the site remains obscure, despite textual mentions of a church as early as the 9th century, linked to the Counts of Tours and the monks of Saint Martin.
The chapel, 17.50 metres long and 8.60 metres wide, has a neat Romanesque architecture, with thick tufted walls of one metre and a 15th century oak frame, compared to a reversed "ship hull". Its lateral facades, adorned with carved modillons (human heads, monstrous figures, geometric motifs), and its two arched portals testify to its past importance. The original ground, buried under two metres of embankment, was restored during the works, also revealing forty burials probably dating from the sixteenth century.
After its de-acralization in 1705, the chapel successively housed a saltpêtrière (manufacturing of gunpowder), a wood warehouse, a soft drinks factory, and then preserved, before serving as a garage in the 1960s. Its rescue by the SAT, at a cost of 1.3 million euros, allowed to restore the building and add a contemporary module housing offices. Today, it hosts cultural events (concerts, exhibitions) and highlights its archaeological remains, such as the Gallo-Roman rampart and the bell oven, protected under windows.
The rehabilitation project, financed by public grants, sponsorship and a popular subscription (258,000 €), was inaugurated in 2016. The chapel, now 19 metres long, combines medieval heritage and modernity, with remarkable acoustics and technical equipment (sounding, video projecting). Its west gate, accessible by a rebuilt square, and its south façade, overlooking a private garden, recall its integration into the historic urban fabric of Tours, a UNESCO World Heritage city.
The origins of the chapel remain partially enigmatic. If an act of 919 evokes an exchange of land including a church between the canons of St.Martin and Count Hugues l'Abbé, no archaeological vestige formally confirms the presence of a building prior to the 12th century. The dedication to St. Libert, disciple of St.Martin, could go back to the 7th or 9th century, but the evidence is lacking. The excavations also did not reveal the Gallo-Roman poterno mentioned in the texts, destroyed in the 19th century. Despite these uncertainties, the Saint-Libert Chapel remains a major witness to the history of the Tourangelle, ancient, medieval and industrial eras.
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