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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Aignan de Fontaine-les-Ribouts, located in the department of Eure-et-Loir in the Centre-Val de Loire region, dates mainly from the 15th century, although traces of an earlier construction (ca. 11th century) have been noted. The present building, rebuilt and enlarged between the late 15th and early 16th centuries, illustrates the flamboyant Gothic style, recognisable by the flame-shaped stone networks adorning the windows. Its simple plan includes a nave, a transept and a polygonal bedside, topped by a stone bell tower with a frame arrow. Inside, a 17th century polychrome cross Christ, vestige of a beam of glory, and 16th century stained glass windows, including a tree of Jesse and a Saint John the Baptist, bear witness to his rich artistic heritage.

The church houses a remarkable retable of rococo style, framed by the statues of Saint Aignan and Saint Sebastian, displacing itself on a background of woodwork carved with plant motifs. Two examples of the right of seigneurial preeminence can be seen here: a tombstone in the northern chapel, dedicated to Marie Anne Perrichon (widow of a secretary of the king who died in 1769), and remains of a funeral liter, a black band decorated with comtal coats of arms painted on the walls. These elements highlight the historical link between the building and the local lords, while reflecting the social and religious practices of the Old Regime.

Ranked a historical monument in 1953, the church is now part of the parish of Blessed François de Laval in Thymerais, whose seat is in Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais. Four of its 16th century glass windows are also protected as movable objects. The wooden porch preceding the west gate and the nave-covered walled cradle complete the architectural features of this monument, symbol of the religious and seigneurial heritage of Eure-et-Loir.

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