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Origin and history

The Saint-Laurent church of Saint-Laurent-en-Gâtines, located in the current department of Indre-et-Loire in the Centre-Val de Loire region, finds its origins in the 15th century. It was originally a priory dependent on the abbey of Marmoutier, founded on a royal seigneury, probably Carolingian. This priory, administered by Augustins, extended its influence over a vast territory, including rights of justice and dependencies such as the Priory of Our Lady of Chenusson.

In the 11th century, the region of Tourangelle Gâtine, then covered by a dense forest, was cleared by Renaud I, Count of Vendôme. St. Lawrence-en-Gâtines, called Sanctus Laurentius de Guastina in medieval charters, became an important centre of this area. The priory, nicknamed the Grand House, was a place of power, often in conflict with the lords of Château-Renault for feudal rights and justice. The monks played a key role in social and agricultural organization, protecting the inhabitants from seigneurial abuses.

Over the centuries, tensions between the abbots of Marmoutier (now commundataires) and the Laurentians intensified, especially around rights of use in the forest and royalties. In 1548 the abbot gave over 300 acres of wood to the inhabitants, but these lands were probably taken over later. The Grand House, a 15th century fortified seigneurial residence, was transformed into a church in the 19th century after the ruin of the original parish building. This unique brick and stone building was inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1927.

The present church preserves medieval elements, like a 14th century Virgin with Child classified. Its bell tower, formerly a turret, was raised in 1875. The site reflects the power struggles between clergy, nobility and peasants, typical of the Middle Ages. The commune, rural and marked by its forest past, was also the birthplace of Gustave Moussu (1864–1945), a renowned veterinarian.

In 1822 Saint-Laurent-en-Gâtines annexed the neighbouring commune of Chenusson, where the chapel of Saint-Roch, an ancient parish church, remains. The local heritage thus bears witness to a rich history, between medieval clearings, feudal conflicts and subsequent architectural adaptations.

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