Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Our Lady of Chapelle-Royale, whose name comes from the Latin Capella Regalis, has its origins in the 7th century, during the Merovingian period. According to tradition, its construction was financed by Queen Bathilde, wife of Clovis II, and placed under the dependency of Saint-Père-en-Vallée Abbey of Chartres. This place of worship, marked by a thousand-year history, bears witness to the close links between royal power and the Church at that time.

The building, originally Romanesque-inspired (XI century), was profoundly remodelled at the end of the 15th century to incorporate Gothic elements, including four large door windows in the choir and sanctuary. The door in the middle of the hanger, formerly preceded by a box (frame awning), retains its original appearance, while the vault, decorated with roses and stars, was restored at this time. statues of Mary, Jesus, and Saint John, as well as a crucifix on a beam of glory, embellish the interior.

The stained glass windows of the choir and sanctuary, made at the beginning of the twentieth century by master glassmaker Charles Lorin de Chartres, illustrate religious scenes (Assumption of Mary, Saint Louis, Saint Julien du Mans) and a commemorative stained glass window of the First World War (1920). The latter, marked by the loss of the artist's eldest son in 1917, represents soldiers, trenches, and a burning cathedral, symbolizing the ravages of the conflict.

Today, the Church of Notre-Dame depends on the parish of Saint-Lubin-du-Perche (Diocese of Chartres) and participates in the initiative Open Churches in Eure-et-Loir, stressing its current role in preserving the local religious and cultural heritage.

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