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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Gilles de L'Île-Bouchard, located in Indre-et-Loire, finds its origins in the 11th century as a Romanesque priory. At that time, only the north side and its portal remained. The nave, the façade and its gate in the middle, as well as the bell tower, date from the 12th century. The Gothic choir, with three vessels and flat bedside, was rebuilt in the 15th century thanks to the gifts of Charles VII, replacing a semicircular primitive apse. The brick vaults and roofs, rebuilt in the 19th century, complement the major changes in the building.

Between 1067 and the 12th century, the church, dependent on the Abbey of Noyers, saw its main vessel lined with a northern collateral. In the 15th century, Jean des Roches (local baron) added a chapel, while Louis II de la Tremeille financed the current choir. A restoration around 1620 and major works between 1868-1870 (northern arcades, brick vaults) completed its architectural evolution. Ranked a historic monument in 1908, it houses a listed 1801 bell and stained glass window, as well as a Marian sanctuary born from the 1947 apparitions.

From December 8 to 14, 1947, four girls (Jacqueline, Jeanne, Nicole and Laura) reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the church, accompanied by unexplained phenomena (healing of Jacqueline, luminous ray). These events, recognized by the Archbishop of Tours in 2001, gave birth to the Notre-Dame-de-la-Prière shrine, an annual pilgrimage site since 1985. The church thus embodies both a medieval heritage and a contemporary spirituality.

Architecturally, the building combines a three-rolled Romanesque portal, an octagonal dome on trunks (XII century), and a square bell tower with no arrow. The materials (stone, brick, slate) reflect its successive construction campaigns. The transept raised in the 15th century counters the vaults of the choir, while the lateral chapels (XIX century) transform the interior space.

The church of Saint-Gilles also illustrates the role of the local lords (family of the Tremeille) and the kings of France (Charles VII) in religious construction in Touraine. Its classification in 1908 highlights its heritage value, reinforced by Marian pilgrimages, which make it both a historical and a living site.

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