Experience the Loire Valley Home Page

Notre-Dame de Nanteuil,Montrichard

The church of Notre-Dame de Nanteuil,Montrichard in the department of the Loir et Cher, can be found to the west of the town centre. It is the largest and most interesting of the *three churches in the town.Like many of the regions churches it has gone through a lot of changes throughout the centuries to become what it is today. Its earliest features date back to the 11th/12th century.

From the rear it looks like a typical Romanesque design and as you pass through the front door it looks fairly standard.

 It has a single nave with a transept and apse.

 

The facade and the portal are fifteenth century, with two superimposed chapels at the corner of the nave and north transept.

  

It is not until you are directed to the 'pilgrimage sanctuary' within the high chapel up a set of stairs that it becomes interesting

The ornately decorated chapel has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries with Catholics coming to pray in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary. What had brought them here to Montrichard was a miraculous fountain which was supposed to have healing powers,its waters were said to blessed by Saint Martin de Tours who then used it to baptise Christian converts.

King Louis XI made frequent pilgrimages here and believe he was responsible for this extension to the church.

The outside stairway to it is a rather unsympathetic addition.

There is also 'L'église Sainte Croix' which is built in to the castle fortifications plus a pretty little chapel attached to the 'Hotel d'Effiat'.

Back to top.

"Author: Jim Craig"

Back to Churches

Back to Montrichard