Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame-des-Trévois, located in Troyes in the Travois working-class district, was built between 1931 and 1934 under the impetus of the architect-moine Dom Bellot, a major figure in the religious renewal of the inter-war period. Initially planned with two towers, its design evolved towards an integrated bell tower and a gable wall, due to economic constraints and the appointment of Maurice Feltin as bishop. The building, made of almost exclusive brick, is distinguished by its open interior space, meeting the new liturgical requirements, and by its facade adorned with a statue of the Virgin carved by Henri Charlier.

The construction, directed on site by the Troyan architect M.-J. Hugot, began with the choir and finished in three phases. The church takes over traditional elements of Troyes, such as the glazed tiles of the sixteenth century, while innovating by its inner polychromy and its structure in Latin cross prolonged by a polygonal apse. Ranked a historic monument in 2001 and labeled "Twentieth Century Heritage", it embodies both a local heritage and an architectural modernity marked by the Dombellotic movement.

His name pays tribute to a chapel demolished during the French Revolution, stressing the link between historical memory and contemporary creation. The interior decoration, entirely made of polychrome bricks, is the element protected by the classification. The building, owned by the diocesan association, remains an exceptional testimony of 20th century religious architecture, combining liturgical functionality, bold aesthetics and craftsmanship.

Dom Bellot, a Benedictine monk and architect, designed fifteen churches in France and the Netherlands, of which Notre-Dame-des-Trévois is an emblematic example. His approach, focused on spatial coherence and material quality, marked the religious architecture of the time. The Troyan church is also distinguished by its integration into a developing neighbourhood, reflecting the spiritual and social needs of a changing working population.

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