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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Euverte d'Orléans, originally a 9th century oratory built on the tomb of Saint Euverte (Bishop of Orléans in the 4th century), became an abbey occupied by secular canons in 956. In the 12th century, it was attached to the abbey of Saint-Victor in Paris and rebuilt under Abbé Étienne, before being destroyed twice during the Hundred Years War (1358, 1428) by order of the bailli d'Orléans to avoid its military use.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the abbey was rebuilt under Charles VII and Louis XI, then damaged during the Wars of Religion: Calvinists burned the roofs in 1562 and destroyed the buildings in 1567. In the 17th century, a major reconstruction was undertaken thanks to King Henry IV and Father Charles Fougeu, with works completed in 1737. The regular canons of the Congregation of France (Genovefains) were introduced in 1636.

At the time of the Revolution, the abbey was abolished in 1790 and its goods sold, while the church served successively as a saltpetry, cotton spinning (1805), and customs warehouse (1832). Repurchased by the Fathers of Mercy in 1851, it was restored and blessed in 1857, before becoming a Catholic boarding school under the Brothers of the Christian Schools. In 1975 the church was ceded to the city of Orleans for a symbolic franc and then used as a storage place after 1986.

Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1933, the church presents a medieval plan (nef to low side, transept, apse) with vaults on a dogive cross. Its bell tower, rebuilt in the 16th century and modified in the 17th century, reflects successive reconstructions. The sober decor, typical of the Augustinians, contrasts with the post-revolutionary transformations. In 2023, faced with its deterioration, the city launched a call for projects for its rehabilitation (estimated cost: €7.5 million).

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