Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Blaise church of Saint-Maure-de-Touraine finds its origins in a first sanctuary built in the sixth century, consecrated by Euphronius, one of the first bishops of Tours. This primitive sanctuary was replaced at the end of the 12th century by a Romanesque church, whose central bell tower was based on four massive pillars. The building had one particular feature: two distinct parts, each with its own pulpit, suggesting the coexistence of two churches with different words under one roof. The higher eastern part consisted of the choir, the sanctuary and two lateral naves, while the lower western part, one metre, consisted of a Romanesque nave, not arched, whose vault collapsed later.

In the 19th century, the church, in a state of ruin, was completely restructured by the architect Gustave Guérin. A first project in 1860 planned to replace the Romanesque nave with a three-nave room, but the complete demolition was finally decided. The works (1865) united the three Romanesque and Gothic naves, while partially reconstructing the Gothic hall. Today, only the eastern part of the 12th century remains, with its flat bedside inspired by the Cathedral of Poitiers, as well as its apsidioles integrated in the thickness of the wall. The crypt, rediscovered at the end of the 19th century, dates partly from the 10th or 11th century and was enlarged in the 12th century.

The crypt, classified as a historical monument in 1926, consists of three arched naves in the middle of the hanger, communicating with third-point openings. The oldest central nave ends with a five-sided apse covered with a 14th century vault. The carved capitals, sometimes unfinished, and the traces of a primitive apse testify to its architectural evolution. Used as a tomb for local lords until the 19th century, it now houses a lapidary depot and is accessible by a double internal staircase. Its plan and decorations are part of the tradition of medieval crypts of the region, reflecting the religious and seigneurial importance of Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine.

The church bedside, with its central protruding apse and integrated apsidioles, is inspired directly by the choir of St Peter's Cathedral in Poitiers (circa 1180). This arrangement, rare in Touraine, as well as the three lancet windows added during the 19th century restorations, illustrate the architectural influences of Angelvin and Poitevin. Gustave Guérin's works, although controversial for their magnitude, saved the building while erasing much of its original medieval structure.

The present church is thus the result of a mixture of remains of the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, profoundly redesigned in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its history reflects the liturgical, seigneurial and architectural evolutions of the Touraine, from the Carolingian period to the modern period. The crypt, the oldest and best preserved element, remains a major testimony of medieval religious art in the Centre-Val de Loire.

External links