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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Saint-Calais found its origins in the 13th century, although the site housed in the 6th century an abbey founded under Childebert I, mentioned by Grégoire de Tours in 576. This abbey initially served as a parish church before a first, modest wooden church was built for the parish. The construction of the present building began at the end of the 15th century with the choir and the last two spans of the nave, of Gothic style, characterized by triangular arches and octagonal piles.

In the 16th century, the church expanded with the addition of the first three spans of the north bottom (1518-1520), followed by three additional spans for the nave and the south collateral. The Renaissance façade was erected between 1522 and 1549, as evidenced by the dates engraved by the sculptors. The gate still retains its original wooden doors, carved from Marian scenes and signed by the initials M. G. L. H., attributed to artisan Guillaume Le Houx. A sacristy was added in 1592, while an oculus and a clock (realized by Guillaume Pelard) were installed in 1615.

The bell tower, begun in the 15th century, suffered interruptions during the Wars of Religion (the abbey was burned in 1562). Its construction resumed in 1619 to be completed in 1623, with subsequent reconstructions of the octagonal floor and the arrow (1667, eighteenth century, 1893). During the Revolution, the church escaped major deterioration, despite the confiscation of its treasure. Ranked in 1840, it has undergone numerous restorations, including a recent campaign (2016-2020) for 2.2 million euros.

Interior mixes Gothic and Renaissance styles, with ivy vaults and ionic capitals inspired by Italy. Among its treasures are a 17th-century organ (buffet classified in 1971), stained glass windows signed Hucher (1894), and the Shroud of Saint-Calais, a Persian sassanide fabric (III-VIIth century) formerly enveloping the relics of local saints. This shroud, with the motifs of a tree of life and hunting scenes, was reported by a Carolingian embassy in the ninth century.

The church, 41.50 m long, includes a central nave of 7 m wide flanked by low side, and a flat bedside illuminated by a large window. Its history reflects the architectural and religious evolutions of the region, from the Merovingian era to contemporary restorations.

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