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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint Vincent and Saint-Radegonde de Cour-sur-Loire is a religious building dating back to the 12th century. Located in the department of Loir-et-Cher in the Centre-Val de Loire region, it now depends on the parish of Suèvres, in the diocese of Blois. Only the bell tower remains of the initial Romanesque construction, the rest of the building having been rebuilt in the sixteenth century, marking a transition between Gothic and Renaissance styles.

Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1846 and confirmed in 1862, the church illustrates the local architectural evolution. Its nave, arched by dogives and flanked by low-sides, is adorned with sculpted ass-de-lamps representing angels and apostles. The choir, finished with a three-part apse, houses 16th-century stained glass windows restored at the end of the 19th century, illustrating biblical scenes such as The Nativity of the Virgin or the Tree of Jesse.

The interior furniture has several remarkable rooms, protected as historical monuments. Among them was a 17th century procession dais in 1912, a retable and high altar inscribed in 1978, as well as 17th century baptismal fonts. A funeral epitaph of 1642, registered in 1996, also bears witness to the parish history of the place. These elements reflect both the local devotion and the religious crafts of modern times.

The building, owned by the commune of Cour-sur-Loire, is part of a rural landscape marked by the influence of the Church and local lords. In medieval times, parish churches like this served as a spiritual, social and sometimes economic centre for the surrounding communities. Their preservation in the 19th century, during the first waves of classification, underscores their heritage role in building the French national identity.

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