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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Nicolas de Blois, located in the historic district of Foix, is originally the abbey of Saint-Laumer Abbey, founded in the 12th century. Built between 1138 and 1186 for its choir, transept and first span of the nave, it was completed in the early 13th century. The building, marked by early Romanesque and Gothic elements, suffered damage during the Hundred Years' War, requiring reconstructions in the 14th century, including the addition of side chapels and the panelling of the vault of the nave. In medieval times, it houses prestigious relics (Saint Lubin, Saint Laumer, Saint Mary Egyptian) and attracts pilgrims.

The French Revolution marked a turning point: in 1792, the original church of Saint-Nicolas (XI century), located near the hotel of Brittany, was destroyed, and its name was transferred to the Abbey of Saint-Laumer, which then became the parish church of Saint-Nicolas. The arrows of the two western towers, emblematic today (71.07 m for the north tower, 70.72 m for the south), are only added in the nineteenth century (1877 and 1899) by architect M. de Baudot. Ranked a historic monument in 1840, the church recently benefited from a major restoration (2020-2025), financed in part by the city of Blois, to preserve its structure and stained glass windows.

The history of the church is also that of its neighbourhood: in the Middle Ages, Saint Nicholas covered a vast area including Foix, the Grouëts and the Viscount, after the destruction of the church of Saint Peter of Foix in 1362. The Saint Laumer Abbey, founded in 1107, plays a central role in local religious life, sheltering monks fleeing Norman invasions as early as 873. After a fire, its reconstruction (1138-1230) made it a fortified building in 1356 to resist the English, then partially destroyed during the Wars of Religion (1568) before being restored in the seventeenth century. At the time of the Revolution, the abbey became a hotel-God, marking its transition to civilian use.

The relics preserved in the church, including a fragment of the Cross of Christ, make it a major place of devotion. Its architecture, mixing dogives and broken arches, illustrates the transition between Romanesque and Gothic. The works of the 14th and 17th centuries (carpent, roof, rose in 1661) bear witness to its constant evolution. Today, the church, owned by the municipality, remains a symbol of the Bloisian heritage, combining medieval history and modern restorations.

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