Collegiate Church of St. Mexme

Chinon, France

The collegiate church of Saint-Mexme was the main religious building in Chinon up to the Revolution. It was originally built in the 5th century on the site of a monastery founded by Saint Mexme, a disciple of Saint Martin. The building was entirely rebuilt, enlarged and embellished between the 10th and 15th centuries, and became a major pilgrimage site. The building was deconsecrated following the Revolution and was left abandoned; in 1817 the transept bell tower collapsed, taking with it the east side of the building. The remaining parts (the west block and central nave) were converted into a school.

The school moved out at the beginning of the 1980s and major work was carried out to restore the original character of the building. Numerous fragments of wall paintings from the 11th to the 15th century were discovered. The church is only open for guided visits organized by the “Ville d’art et d’histoire” department.

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Place Saint-Mexme, Chinon, France
See all sites in Chinon

Details

Founded: 10th-15th century
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Frankish kingdoms (France)

More Information

www.chinon-valdeloire.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Château de Chinon (0,7 km)
Church of St. Etienne (0,1 km)


Château de Villandry (28 km)
Fontevraud Abbey (14,7 km)
Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (19,5 km)
Tours Cathedral (42,3 km)
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours (42,3 km)
Tours Old Town (41,5 km)
Château d'Usse (9,7 km)
Musée des Blindés (25,4 km)
Château de Saumur (25,9 km)

User Reviews

Ehrenboger Caroline (2 years ago)
CHRISTOPHE MATHIEUX (2 years ago)
Chanel Koehl (2 years ago)
c'est juste magnifique
Thomas Dorsata (3 years ago)
Souvent fermée mais superbe.
J & H Logis-Saint-Mexme (4 years ago)
A voir pour ses fresques et ses vitraux Collégiale Saint-Mexme 11e 15e 21e siècles Peintures murales médiévales vitraux contemporains Medieval Wall Paintings Contemporary Stained Glass Ouverture 2016 visite guidée tous les mercredis du 1er juillet au 31 août à 17h30 Départ à l'Office de Tourisme 1 rue Rabelais Tarif Plein 4€70 Réduit 2€50 Gratuit pour les moins de 12 ans
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