St. Denis' Church

Amboise, France

The construction of St. Denis’ Church was started about 1107 by Hugues, the first Lord of Amboise. It was built on the site of ancient Gallo-Roman monument.Built in a fine Gothic style, with moderations made in the 16th century, the beautiful church remains a popular visitor attraction as well as being a working place of worship and prayer.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1107
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

nicole bontemps (2 years ago)
Très belle êglise
Fazega (3 years ago)
Beautiful church not very large, good for praying.
Patrick Maignant (3 years ago)
Gorgeous ! Too bad the square is a parking lot ...
Carole Hyvernat (3 years ago)
Very pleasant church. We feel good there. I highly recommend to recharge your batteries. Very outgoing and pleasant parish staff.
Paul Pérucaud (3 years ago)
A monumental altarpiece, a sumptuous Entombment, splendid capitals with sculpted decorations from the 12th century, etc. The Saint-Denis church is somewhat forgotten by visitors to the city of Amboise. The first reason is the shadow cast by the prestigious Château d'Amboise and that of Clos Lucé; the second reason, history has retained François 1er and Leonardo da Vinci, seeming to forget that before them, Amboise had a rich life that glorious characters have shaped. This church was built by Hugues I, Lord of Amboise, at the beginning of the 12th century. It replaced an oratory on this place, built in the 4th century by (Saint) Martin of Tours, proclaimed bishop by the inhabitants of Tours against his will. This oratory had itself replaced a temple of pagan worship, proof if necessary of the spiritual constancy of the population of the city. Transformed over the centuries, architectural influences are diverse, partial restorations and reconstructions have made it possible to preserve this church. At the beginning of Romanesque style, the modifications or additions intervened at the end of the 12th, then the 15th, 16th, 18th, and 19th centuries. These architectural variations bring a certain fantasy, the harmony is preserved. The building is dark, but efficient lighting highlights the monumental altarpiece and the sumptuous Entombment. The latter as well as the recumbent figure (known as the drowned woman), and the statue of Sainte-Madeleine reading a book were brought around 1770. These are three elements classified by the M.H. coming from the underground chapel of the castle of Bondésir de Montlouis. Beautifully crafted stained-glass windows, splendid decorations carved on the capitals of the choir are to be discovered.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Trencín Castle

Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.

History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.

Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.

Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.