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Origin and history

The Saint-Catherine church of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois, listed as a historic monument in 1862, was built in the 15th century on the site of a primitive chapel. According to tradition, Charles Martel placed his sword there after the Battle of Poitiers in 732 and this same sword was found by Joan of Arc in 1429. The original chapel, dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, became a popular pilgrimage place after a miracle reported in 1375, where a sick man healed after a novena.

The chapel was burned down in 1440, and the present church was built around 1450 under the impulse of Cardinal Hélie de Bourdeilles, Archbishop of Tours, with the financial support of Charles VII. Its construction was completed under the reigns of Charles VIII or Louis XII. The flamboyant Gothic-style building features a perfectly oriented Latin cross with a 41-metre campanile. Inside, there is a 15th century altar, a Tudor Gothic confessional, and a chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine.

The church is intimately linked to Joan of Arc, who prayed there in 1429 before recovering the sword of Charles Martel, buried behind the altar. This sword, marked with five crosses, was sent to Jeanne at Tours before her mission. The building was restored in 1859 by architect Sylvain-Philippe Châteignier. The church also houses stained glass windows and decorative elements dating back to the 15th and 19th centuries.

The village of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois, protected by walls and ditches in the 16th century, became an independent parish in 1704. The church, a symbol of devotion and resistance during the Hundred Years' War, remains a place of memory linked to France's military and religious history. Its modest but elegant architecture reflects its historical and spiritual importance.

Nearby, the chaplaincy founded by Marshal Boucicaut in 1415 welcomed pilgrims. Today, the town hall occupies this building, while the chaplaincy chapel, dedicated to Saint Jacques de Compostelle, houses the municipal library. The house of the Dauphin, built in 1478, is another notable monument of the commune, inscribed in 1927.

Future

From the outside, the church presents itself as a perfectly oriented Latin cross.
Its architectural character is of the purest flamboyant Gothic style, making it one of the most admirable buildings of Christian art of the late 15th century, to which are attached the most precious memories of our national history.

The church is open to visit (free) every day.
You can visit it, understand who Saint Catherine is and discover this legendary place for Charles Martel and Jeanne d'Arc.
And where other "grands" from France also came to pray or to gather...

Unmissable for lovers of France!

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