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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Saturnin de Limeray, located in the department of Indre-et-Loire in the Centre-Val de Loire region, was built around 1032 by the seigneur Hugues de Limeray in Romanesque style. The base of its bell tower, built in small regular apparatus, is one of the few remains of the eleventh century. The building was thoroughly renovated in the 12th and 16th centuries, with an angeline Gothic vault and openings in flamboyant Gothic style. Its portal, typical of Romanesque art, presents an arch in the middle of a circle supported by columns with capitals.

The bell tower collapsed in 1711 after decades of neglect, notably because of the refusal of Madeleine Dorat of Moncé Abbey to finance the necessary repairs. A ruling of the King's Council in 1715 finally ordered the reconstruction, charging the costs to the abbey. The bell tower was rebuilt in the 18th century, while the western facade, probably dating from the 16th century, was restored in 1964 after the demolition of a narthex added in the 19th century by Abbé Blaive.

The church also suffered major damage during the flood of the Loire in 1856, which damaged the walls, the floor and the furniture. The priest of Limeray from 1872 to 1898, Abbé Blaive, played a key role in preserving the heritage by integrating saved architectural elements, such as marble columns from Amboise and a capital of Moncé Abbey. Since 2013, a four-phase restoration campaign has made it possible to renovate the roof, masonry and interiors.

Partly classified as historical monuments (base of the bell tower in 1992 and general inscription in 1926), the church houses 19th and 16th century statues and stained glass windows, some of which come from Moncé Abbey. An ex-voto of 1811, engraved on slate, commemorates a local marriage and evokes the great comet of that year, reflecting the social and religious history of the Touraine.

The stained glass windows, made by the Lobin de Tours (1837) and Charlemagne de Toulouse (1866), and the 16th century medallions, illustrate the artistic evolution of the building. Abbé Blaive, an amateur archaeologist, temporarily transformed the church into an eclectic museum, whose only major pieces remain today. His 1893 manuscript details the history and architecture of the place.

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