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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Priory Saint-Éloi, located in Tours on the edge of the Old Towers, is a former Benedictine priory whose chapel, the only vestige of the original buildings, was built between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. Originally dedicated to Saint James under the name of Priory Saint-Jacques de l'Orme Robert, he adopted the term Saint-Éloi in the 12th century, in connection with the tradition attributing to this saint the realization of a chassus for Saint Martin around 650. The chapel, dependent on the monastery of Saint-Venant, is attached to the abbey Saint-Florent of Saumur at the request of Henry II of England. Its architecture combines a Romanesque nave of the 12th century with Renaissance additions, including a body of houses flanked by turrets in the 16th century.

The chapel, with a single nave and a flat bedside, is illuminated by lancettes and an oculus, while buttresses strengthen its walls. In the 15th century, the frame was rebuilt, and in the 16th century buildings adjacent to the sober style, incorporating Renaissance elements like pilasters, were added. These successive changes, marked by discreet ornaments, preserve an overall harmony despite the transformations. The priory, sold as a national property in 1791, was then transformed into a brewery before welcoming, since 1990, the historical archives of the city of Tours.

The site, listed in the inventory of historical monuments in 1932, bears witness to the architectural and functional evolution of religious buildings in Touraine. The cellars and undergrounds discovered during the works recall its ancient settlement, more than 1.5 km from the urbanised areas during its foundation. Today, the chapel is accessible at Heritage Days, where its history and current role in archival conservation are presented to the public.

According to the sources, the priory was mentioned in the 10th century, but its present chapel replaced a primitive oratory between 1177 and 1185. The municipal archives are located there after a project launched in 1986, marking a heritage conversion typical of French historical monuments. The tours highlight its hybrid architecture, between medieval heritage and Renaissance influences, as well as its contemporary use as a place of urban memory.

Future

Since 1990 it has housed the historical section of the Municipal Archives of Tours.

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