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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Eulalie de Genillé, located in the Indre-et-Loire department, is a Catholic religious building built from the 11th to the 16th century. It is characterized by a composite architecture, mixing Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements. Its bell tower, partially dated from the 13th century, and its 16th century choir reflect the stylistic evolutions of each era. The church is dedicated to Saint Eulalie, a Spanish martyr of the third century, and its history is marked by destruction and reconstruction, especially after a conflict in 1145 between Geoffroy V of Anjou and Sulpice II of Amboise.

The nave, simple and without collaterals, is illuminated by reamped berries, some of which carry the arms of the Smoke family, local lords. The choir, disoriented to the north, and the trapezoidal apse date from the 15th century, while the chapel of the Virgin, added to the 16th century, illustrates the influence of noble sponsors. The sacristy, a former seigneurial chapel of the Smoke, temporarily served as a town hall between 1808 and 1823. The building, which was listed as a historic monument in 1926, houses remarkable furniture, including seven classified objects, such as a 1494 bentier or 17th century pulpit.

The exterior decoration of the church includes niches, roses and a band decorated with missing coats of arms, evoking the financier lords. Inside, seven 19th century stained glass windows, made by the Lobin workshop, represent the martyrdom of Saint Eulalie. The western portal, typical of the French Renaissance, and the octagonal arrow of the bell tower, added in the 15th century, complete this architectural ensemble. The church thus bears witness to the artistic and social transformations of the Touraine, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

The history of Genillé, linked to this church, dates back to at least the 11th century, with traces of a Merovingian cemetery nearby. The parish, probably formed before the year mil, saw its religious building destroyed and rebuilt several times. In the 16th century, Adam II Smoke, lord of Genillé, financed the reconstruction of the choir and the southern gate, marking the height of the seigneurial influence on the monument. The Chapel of the Smokers, integrated in the seventeenth century, symbolizes this relationship between local power and place of worship.

Classified for its furniture and architecture, the Church of Saint-Eulalie also illustrates the functional adaptations of religious buildings over the centuries. Its inscription in 1926 emphasized its heritage value, while its parish use continued. The defensive elements of the bell tower, like the geminous bays of the bell floor, remind medieval concerns, contrasting with the Renaissance decoration of the gate. This mix of styles makes it a privileged witness to the tourangelle history.

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