Saint Peter's Church of Tranzault dans l'Indre

Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of St. Peter of Tranzault finds its origins in the 11th century, built on the foundations of a pre-existing building near a source of therapeutic virtues, dedicated later to St. Geneviève. At the time, it depended on the Benedictine abbey of Deols and was headed by the monks of the abbey of Varennes as a priory until the Revolution. After this period, she was attached to the parish of Lys-Saint-Georges, before Abbé Caillaud, parish priest of Mers-sur-Indre, had her erected as a vicarial chapel in 1828 and later as a parish church of Tranzault.

A fire at the beginning of the 19th century ravaged the wooden vault of the nave and tiled roof, initiating repair work between 1838 and 1842. In 1870, the transfer of the cemetery freed space around the church, allowing a major restoration led in 1871 by architect Alfred Dauvergne. These works profoundly transformed the building, including the enlargement of the choir, the addition of absidioles dedicated to Saint Geneviève and the Virgin Mary, and the replacement of tiles with slate.

The interior decoration, made by the painter Raphaël Bodin at the end of the 19th century, includes wall paintings and faces of sculpted apostles on the choir capitals. The church also houses a collection of liturgical clothes, gathered by Abbé Doucet, pastor and former tailor. In the 20th century, paints and paints deteriorated, requiring restoration completed in 2017. The atypical orientation of the church towards the North, rather than towards the East as usual, adds to its unique character.

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