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Origin and history

The church Saint-Perpet de Neil, located in the eponymous village in the Centre-Val de Loire region, is a monument whose construction runs from the twelfth to the sixteenth century. It illustrates medieval architectural evolutions, with Romanesque elements visible at the southern entrance, such as capitals decorated with chimeras or demons, and flamboyant Gothic additions, especially in the bays of the nave and choir. The latter, dated from the 15th century, ends with a flat bedside illuminated by a bay with a typical reamping of this period.

Originally, the church belonged to the lords of Crissay in the 11th century, before becoming the property of the Abbey of Noyers in 1080. Former priory, Neuil was established as a parish in 1540, marking a transition in his religious status. The tower of the bell tower, later, has a Renaissance balustrade framed by an octagonal gothic arrow, while a tower of polygonal stairway flanks it. These details reflect the successive stylistic influences that marked the building.

The monument, classified as a Historical Monument since 1971, preserves traces of its feudal past: in the 14th century, Neuil was a member of the Archdiocese of Tours, highlighting its importance in the local religious and seigneurial network. The building, now owned by the municipality, bears witness to nearly a thousand years of history, between ecclesiastical power, medieval architecture and parish life.

The southern entrance, with its flamboyant arches falling on carved capitals, offers a remarkable example of Romanesque art, while the flamboyant reamped bays of the nave and choir illustrate the apogee of late Gothic. These stylistic contrasts make the church of Saint Perpet a precious testimony of the artistic and religious transitions in Touraine between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

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