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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Lignières, mentioned as early as 1115 in a bubble of Pope Pascal II, finds its origins in an 11th century chapel, enlarged in the 12th century. Initially dependent on the church of Saint-Hilaire-en-Lignières, it was attached to the castle in 1115, then transformed into a collegiate church in 1471 by a bubble of Sixte IV. His history was marked by destruction during the Wars of Religion in 1563, followed by numerous restorations, including a major reconstruction in the 19th century.

The building preserves Romanesque elements such as the apse, the apsidioles and the western gate, while carved capitals testify to its rich artistic past. In the 17th century, a chapel replaced an arm of the transept, and in 1635 a dome was erected to replace a dilapidated arrow. The 1860-1863 restoration, led by architects Duchemin and Gallicher, added two sides and radically transformed the nave. The current bell tower, built in 1877, replaces these earlier structures.

Classified as an additional inventory of historic monuments in 1926, the church has been the subject of recent works, including the dewatering of the bell tower between 2013 and 2014. Its architecture thus blends late Romanesque and Gothic influences, typical of Berry, while bearing the traces of successive changes linked to its turbulent history.

The location of the church, on the right bank of the Arnon to the east of the village of Lignières, reflects its central role in local religious and community life. Accessible by Rue Colbert or a bridge over the Arnon, it remains a major architectural testimony of the Centre-Val de Loire region, illustrating stylistic changes and historical upheavals since the Middle Ages.

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