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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Pierre de Courville-sur-Eure, located in the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region, is a Roman Catholic building rebuilt at the end of the 15th century and in the 16th century. Its bell tower, with a height after this period, houses a 16th century walled structure, considered one of the most beautiful in the department by a former architect of the Historical Monuments. The church has been listed as a historic monument since 1907, and its furniture, acquired in part during auctions in 1792, includes remarkable elements such as a 17th century altarpiece and medieval statues.

Originally, the church was mentioned as Curvavilla as early as 1272 in the Pouillées de Sens, with the abbot of Saint John as patron. In the 18th century, it became an annex to the church of Saint Nicholas, as suggested by the map of Cassini. Its rich and varied furniture includes 18th-century carved wooden benches, a statue of the Trinity around 1540, and a funeral slab of 1536. These elements, often classified individually as historical monuments, testify to the artistic and religious importance of the place.

The triumphal arch of the 18th century, decorated with polychrome sculptures, and the closing of the choir, also acquired in 1792, illustrate the influence of the churches removed from Chartres on the local heritage. The chapel of La Madeleine houses several statues from the 15th and 16th centuries, including those of Saint Nicholas, Saint Sebastian and Saint Madeleine, all classified. These works, combined with retables and paintings such as the Crucification of St Peter (1689), highlight the liturgical and artistic continuity of the building.

Today, Saint Peter's church is part of the parish of La Bonne-Nouvelle in Val de l'Eure and the dean of the Forest. Its classification in 1907 and the protection of many movable objects (such as benches, retables or statues) make it a major testimony of religious architecture and sacred art in Eure-et-Loir, between the Middle Ages and modern times.

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