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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Martin de Rilly-sur-Vienne is a Latin cross religious building, characterized by a unique nave covered with a false vault in a cradle and a flat bedside. The cross of the transept has a vault of curved warheads, while the capitals, decorated with foliage, date from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The seigneurial chapel, pierced by a flamboyant bay, and the octagonal bell tower surmounted by a low arrow, testify to the additions of the 15th century. The ensemble, covered in slate, combines varied architectural styles, reflecting medieval artistic evolutions.

The nave, extended by a third in 1870 by architect Gustave Guérin, leads to a square span of the late twelfth or early thirteenth century. The seigneurial chapel, located to the south, dates from the 15th century, while a symmetrical chapel to the north and the west facade were added in 1870. A sacristy was joined to the southern chapel at the same time, and a second, to the north, was built in the 20th century. These changes illustrate the successive adaptations of the building to liturgical and community needs.

Rilly-sur-Vienne formed a fief under the Archdiocese of Tours in the 13th and 14th centuries, which explains the importance of this church in the local organization. The building, which has been partially protected since 1977 (excluding the west façade), preserves remarkable elements such as the acclaimed mess of the old gate of the seigneurial chapel, adorned with hooks and sleek cabbages. These artistic details underline the social and religious role of the church in the medieval and modern life of the municipality.

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