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Origin and history

Saint-Germain de La Celle-Condé Church, located in the Cher department, is a religious building built at the edge of the 11th and 12th centuries. It consists of a unique nave extended by a flat bedside choir, with a bell tower in front topped by an octagonal roof. The interior preserves 12th-century murals, including biblical scenes such as the Emmaus Meeting and a Crucifixion, as well as a 13th-XIVth-century funeral decor representing a couple of gimmers. These frescoes, partially covered by a bandigeon, adorn the north and south walls of the nave and the entrance arch of the choir.

In 1229, the church was mentioned as dependent on the Benedictine Abbey of Massay and housed a priory. The choir and a northern chapel, vaulted in cradle, date from the 15th century, while destructions during the religious wars required partial reconstructions in the 17th century. In 2004, a fire caused by an electrical fault ravaged the bell tower and roof, restored in 2007 with a new panel for the nave. The building, a communal property, has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1998.

Wall paintings are the most remarkable element of the church. On the north wall, five to six 12th century scenes illustrate evangelical or hagiographic episodes, such as the Struggle of a Saint against the Devil and the Emmaus Meal. A diaphragm arch bears the remains of a contemporary Crucifixion of these frescoes. To the west, a later decoration (late 13th-early 14th century) shows a couple of dead, their souls carried to Paradise by angels, probably accompanied by a missing epitaph. These works, although partially erased, bear witness to the artistic richness of small medieval rural churches.

The history of the building reflects regional upheavals: destruction during religious wars, reconstruction in the seventeenth century, and modern restoration after the fire of 2004. The north chapel, of modest height, could, according to historian François Deshoulières, be the site of a primitive bell tower. The semi-circle openings subsequently pierced to connect this chapel to the nave unfortunately damaged part of the original murals.

The Saint-Germain church, although of modest dimensions, illustrates the architectural and artistic evolution of the rural churches of the Centre-Val de Loire. Its broken crib panelling, medieval frescoes and octagonal bell tower make it a valuable witness to the local religious heritage. Today it depends on the parish of Sainte-Jeanne de France, based in Lignières, and remains a place of worship and historical memory for the commune.

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