Saint-Pierre Church
Description
Saint-Pierre Collegiate Church is a former collegiate church located in the town of Chauvigny. The church’s origins are unclear, but a chapter of ten canons is recorded in the early 11th century. The current Romanesque building was constructed in the 12th century, starting with the choir, and the bell tower was added in the early 13th century. Damaged during the Wars of Religion and the Fronde, and neglected during the Revolution, the church underwent several restorations in the 19th century. It was listed as a historical monument in 1846 and reopened for worship in 1804.
The church is known for its richly decorated chevet, visible from Rue Saint-Pierre. It features sculpted arcades, carved columns, and corbelled modillions depicting animals and faces. A Romanesque alphabet is carved above a window, likely used in liturgical dedications. The bell tower, square and three-tiered, rises above the crossing.
The church follows a classic three-aisled Romanesque layout with a high central nave and barrel vaults. The nave dates from the late 12th century and is simple in decor, with sculpted capitals evolving in style from Romanesque to Gothic.
The transept, from the early 12th century, has a central dome on squinches and richly carved capitals, including mythological creatures and a siren. The choir has a clover-shaped layout with an ambulatory and three radiating chapels—rare in the region. Sculpted capitals show biblical scenes, animals, and demons, some with explanatory inscriptions.