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Origin and history

Église Saint-Jacques d'Illiers-Combray, located in the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region, is a religious building built from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century. Rebuilt after the Hundred Years' War, it preserves remains of its Romanesque origin, such as a door and two bays to the north. His choir, completed in 1453, extended an older nave, while the bell tower and western spans were built in 1497. The Gothic portal, probably redesigned after the wars of religion, and the restorations of the 16th and 19th centuries testify to its architectural evolution.

The wooden shingle vault, entirely painted with its frame, and the master stained glass of the choir dating from 1867 (restored in 2021 by the Lorin de Chartres workshops) are among its outstanding elements. The furniture, rich and varied, includes retables of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, statues, and fourteen classified paintings, including 19th century works inspired by Valentin de Boulogne. These elements, protected under the Historic Monuments, illustrate the artistic and religious importance of the site.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1907, the church underwent major transformations, such as the replacement of Gothic altars by a altarpiece around 1685, or the suppression of adjacent houses between 1909 and 1911 to create the Grande Place. Today, it belongs to the parish of Notre-Dame du Combray and remains a major architectural and historical testimony of the region, mixing medieval heritage, rebirth and modern restorations.

The traces of mural paintings in the chapel of the Virgin and the 17th century panellings recall the original decorations, while the 19th century restorations gave the building some of its brightness. Its role in the local community, throughout the centuries, reflects the evolution of religious and artistic practices in Eure-et-Loir, between warrior destructions and successive beautifications.

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