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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Pierre de Boynes, located in the Loiret department in the Centre-Val de Loire region, is a religious building built from the 13th to the 18th century. Ranked a historic monument by decree of 4 February 1921, it presents a rectangular flat bedside plan, with two collaterals extended until l'Abside. Its square stone bell tower, positioned on the west front, houses a staircase in screws whose door, adorned with a low arch supported by two angels, ends with a braid. This monument illustrates the architectural transitions between the Middle Ages and the modern era, with late Romanesque and Gothic elements.

The nave and bell tower date back to the 13th century, while the west gate and the choir date back to the 14th century, marked by archvolts with pronounced mouldings and sculpted buttocks of fantastic animals. The southern collateral, added at the beginning of the 14th century, and the lower side, rebuilt in the 18th century, testify to successive changes. The southern gate, typical of the 13th century, has a tympanum to re-enter enclosed in a warhead, supported by four columns. The building, partially destroyed during the Hundred Years War around 1415-1420, was rebuilt with a stone masonry, keeping traces of its medieval origins.

The choir, built between the late 15th and mid 16th centuries, reflects the influences of the Renaissance, with a square apse and more elaborate ornamental details. The western facade, dominated by the bell tower, opens onto a 14th century main portal, characterized by archvolts falling back on back-to-back columns. The church, owned by Boynes, remains a remarkable example of religious architectural evolution in the Loire Valley, mixing spiritual, defensive and community functions throughout the centuries.

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