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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Loup church, located in Châlons-en-Champagne in the Marne department, is a Catholic building built from the 14th to the 19th century. The first wooden church, dated from the 13th century, was decorated with a bell tower in the early 14th century. The gate, completed in 1662, was dismantled during the restorations of 1885 and replaced by a neo-Gothic facade designed by architect Ernest Collin. This historic portal is now on display in the courtyard of the Hotel Dubois de Crance.

The nave, built between 1450 and 1530, was raised around 1530 to compensate for a 1.70 m elevation with the choir. The pillars, decorated with carved capitals, bear inscriptions dated 1459 and 1461, mentioning the brotherhoods of winemakers and coopers who financed their construction. In the 19th century, Abbé Chapiteau undertook a major restoration, including the repair of vaults and bows, as well as the construction of a new facade between 1886 and 1889.

The church is home to 15th-century glass windows, reliquaries such as that of Saint Victoire, and a rich statuary. The choir, illuminated by nine bays, presents blind trilobed archatures. The polygonal arrow of the transept cross, covered with lead, was erected in 1903. Since 1981, the gate has been listed as a historic monument, while the rest of the building is listed.

The structure, in Latin cross, combines flamboyant and radiant Gothic elements. The lower sides, lined with chapels, are covered with appentis, and the transept, with roofs with long sections. The church, built in chalk with a western limestone facade, illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of Châlons-en-Champagne throughout the centuries.

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