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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Saturnin church of Conan is a 12th-century Romanesque building located in the village of Conan (Loir-et-Cher). It consists of a glazed nave preceded by a western portal, and a chorus formed by a span under a vaulted bell tower of ridges and an apse in a cul-de-four. It preserves its three Romanesque bays decorated with carved columns with capitals, testimonies of local medieval art. In the 16th century, a seigneurial chapel was added south of the choir, reflecting the architectural and social evolutions of the period.

In 1891, murals were discovered in the abside, representing the apostles between the bays. In 1927, a major fresco was revealed on the north wall of the nave: the Dit of the three dead and of the three alive, made in wet weather on a boudigeon of lime. The dominant colours (yellow and red ochre, pink, brown) and stencil motifs illustrate medieval pictorial techniques. A chapel of baptismal backgrounds, added in the 19th century, completes the whole, showing a continuous cultural occupation.

The church, owned by the commune, was fully registered as a Historic Monument by order of 26 September 2007. Its state of conservation and painted decorations make it a rare example of Romanesque art preserved in the Centre-Val de Loire. Localization, noted as "a priori satisfactory" (level 7/10), allows to consider further studies on its history and constructive techniques.

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