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Origin and history

Notre-Dame de La Berthenoux Church is a French Catholic church located in the commune of La Berthenoux, in the Indre department, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is part of the archdiocese of Bourges and depends on the dean of Boischaut Sud. Built in the 12th century, it is the only vestige of a priory founded in the 9th century by Massay Abbey, destroyed by fire in 1171. Since the Revolution, it has served as a parish church.

The building, entirely built in the second half of the 12th century, presents a unique nave with transept and choir, finished with a circular apse. Two apsidioles adorn the arms of the transept, and a bell tower rises on the cross. The nave, originally covered in frame, was renovated and equipped with a wooden cradle after modifications in the 19th century. The transept, vaulted in eight-paned cloister arch, rests on tubes and columns with carved capitals, representing foliage and characters.

The gate, in full hanger and decorated with billets, was walled in 1854 and reopened during restorations completed in 2010. Inside, "Berrichons passages" allow fluid circulation to the side chapels. Abside, illuminated by three carved columnette windows, once housed 18th-century trompe-l'oeil paintings, now covered. The church also houses 16th century wooden statues and a copy of the painting Adoration of the Shepherds of José de Ribera, offered in 1850.

Classified as a historical monument on September 17, 1924, the church is owned by the municipality of La Berthenoux. Its architecture and decorations reflect Berrichon Romanesque art, with local influences such as capitals interpreted as representing the seven capital sins. The restoration works, particularly those carried out by the association founded by Abbé Debourges, have preserved this religious and historical heritage.

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