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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Étienne de Reignac-sur-Indre, located in the department of Indre-et-Loire, finds its origins in the 10th century, when its bell tower and part of the choir were built. This religious building, dedicated to St Stephen, succeeds a first church founded under the episcopate of Eustoche (or Eustochius), bishop of Tours between 442 and 459, although no vestige of this initial construction remains. The bell tower, of square plan and in average apparatus typical of the Carolingian architecture, was redesigned in its upper part probably in the twelfth century. It is now the most emblematic element of the monument, inscribed in historical monuments since 1926.

In the 12th century, the church underwent major changes, including the restructuring of the choir, divided into a central nave and two vaulted coffers in cradle. The northern collateral, later developed by the Fau family (owner of Reignac from the 15th to the 17th century), still bears their family arms. A remodelling in the 17th century altered the vaults and the orientation of the building: originally turned east, it was redeveloped to open to the west, with a characteristic bell tower. In the 19th century, modern walls masked the original bedside, and a door was pierced into the east wall, becoming the main entrance.

The architecture of the church thus combines Carolingian elements (closing in a building block, flat stone and tile discharge arches) and medieval or modern additions. The nave, pierced by bays in the middle of the wall and an oculus, houses a stained glass window of 1887 signed Armand Clement, representing the martyrdom of St Stephen. This stained glass window, along with the bell tower's corner links, testify to the stylistic and functional evolution of the building over the centuries.

The protection of the bell tower in 1926 underlined its heritage importance, linked to its archaic architecture and its role in local religious history. The church, owned by the commune, remains a remarkable example of the superposition of times, construction techniques and liturgical uses in Touraine.

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