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Origin and history

The church Saint-Georges de Bou, located in the Loiret department in the Centre-Val de Loire region, is a religious building whose origins date back to the late 11th century. It was partially rebuilt and enlarged in the 13th and 15th centuries, reflecting a hybrid architecture between Romanesque and Gothic. The bell tower, of Romanesque base, and the choir, of early Gothic style, were classified as historical monuments in 1922, while the nave and lower side, unfinished, were inscribed in 1935. The church is dedicated to St George, celebrated on April 23.

The building presents a simple quadrilateral plan, with collaterals never completed, visible by departures of arches drowned in the masonry. The bell tower, sitting on a span of the north side, combines a Romanesque base and a Gothic bell room with trilobed bays. The first two eastern spans, built at the beginning of the Gothic period, house the choir and side chapels with geminated swimming pools. The nave, covered with a broken cradle vault, contrasts with the homogeneous pattern of the choir, characteristic of the thirteenth century.

Subsequent changes, notably in the 15th century, include the addition of non-vetted bottoms and an apparent structure. The flat bedside, pierced by ogival bays, retained its original appearance, while the Gothic windows were partially reduced. The altarpiece, representing the Assumption of the Virgin, was restored in 2012, and the stained glass windows renovated in 2015. The church, protected by the Historical Monuments, bears witness to a complex architectural history, marked by successive changes and adaptations to floods, such as that of the Loire in 1866.

The village of Bou, historically linked to the bishops of Orléans, houses this parish church attached to the diocese of Orléans. Its bell tower, initially surmounted by a chamber with Romanesque bells, was redesigned in the 13th century, while the lower sides, extended around 1530, reveal traces of unfinished vaults. The building, open to the public, illustrates the evolution of medieval constructive techniques and the influence of conflicts, such as the Hundred Years' War or the Wars of Religion, on its architecture.

The Saint-Georges de Bou church, listed and listed as a Historical Monument, is distinguished by its 19th century wooden crucifix, which was classified in 1969. Its location in the Meander of Bou, on the right bank of the Loire, makes it an element of UNESCO's world heritage, integrated into the Loire Valley. The sources available, including Wikipedia and Monumentum, underline its role in the local parish grouping and its anchoring in the religious and architectural history of the region.

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