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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Nicolas de Tavant, located in the Indre-et-Loire department in the Centre-Val de Loire region, is a Catholic religious building built in the early twelfth century. Its architecture reflects limousine and Berrichonne influences, with a nave initially downside, now gone, and an elevated choir with a remarkable crypt. The dedication to Saint Nicholas is part of the development of his worship in the West after the transfer of his relics to Bari in 1087. The first text mentioning the church dates from 1223, referring to a real estate concession between the neighboring priory and the parish priest.

The church frescoes, rediscovered and restored in the 20th century, are one of the most important Romanesque pictorial ensembles in France. The crypts, probably never covered, illustrate biblical scenes and holy figures with a dynamic style and Byzantine influences. Christ in Majesty dominates these compositions, framed by the tetramorph and angels. Henri Focillon and André Malraux emphasized their exceptional quality, ranking them among the masterpieces of Romanesque painting.

The building, classified as a historic monument in 1908, has undergone several changes over the centuries: loss of the lower side and an apsidiole, enhancement of the roof, and successive restorations (notably in 1896, 1945 and 2012). The crypt, built after the choir in the mid-12th century, was rediscovered in 1862. His frescoes, reproduced in the City of Architecture and Heritage, inspired postal stamps in 1997. The furniture includes a Romanesque Baptistery and a medieval gissant.

The architecture combines a western facade adorned with a gate in the middle of the hangar, a vaulted nave in a cradle, and a posterior octagonal bell tower. The capitals, mostly with plant motifs, include figurative representations such as the Tentation of Adam and Eve. The exterior paintings, now erased, attested to a complete medieval decor. Recent restorations have stabilized the frescoes and revealed details about their technique and iconography, which is still partly enigmatic.

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