A church for Sunday...Église Saints-Philippe et Jacques de Mouzay

 

Church for Sunday - Light up outside and in - St.Peter's Abbey church in Preuilly-sur-Claise

 

Church on Sunday - Saint-Martin à Bossay-sur-Claise

 

This pretty Romanesque church in Bossay-sur-Claise in Southern Touraine dates from the 12th century but had a makeover in the 19th that has preserved it for future generations.

Church on Sunday - two for the price of one in Descartes

An October walk in the public gardens at Descartes gives us a view on two of its churches, Notre Dame de La Haye (above) and Saint Georges 

The town actually has a third church Saint-Pierre Balesmes  (our favourite) but it can not be seen from the gardens.

Church on Sunday - Eglise Saint-Etienne de Paulnay

 

Today we feature the surprising little church  of Saint-Etienne in the small village of Paulnay,6km east of Azay-le-Ferron in the department of Indre. The church dates from the 12th century and is built in the Poitevin Romanesque style, rare for small village churches around here.

 

Its facade is adorned with finely detailed sculptures - you can see some great images of these and the church here. 

It is not the only surprise of this little gem of a church, inside is adorned with brightly painted frescos.

One of the piers of the vault of the nave is decorated with paintings from the 13th century depicting the twelve months of the year depicting the work in the fields over the seasons. 

Well worth dropping in if you are in the area.

Where's Joan?

She is here in a familiar pose.

Provence churches for Sunday ...

Here are some images of churches we came across during our village hopping here in Provence - sadly all were locked!

 

Church on Sunday - Saint-Mathurin, Saint-Mathurin-sur-Loire - glass doors and disappearing artist.

Today we visit the church at Saint-Mathurin-sur-Loire (49) which was completed in 1847 by Angevin architect François Villersat. Its stripped-down neoclassical style is not common along the banks of the Loire but it is imposing.

Inside the central nave leads to wood paneled choir

The church also has two side chapels

The main feature of the church however is a monumental gate "La porte de la paix" which was installed in 2012. It is the work of  the famous Catalan artist Josep Grau Garriga who had adopted the town as his home since 1992. Above the glass doors are painted panels that unfortunately the artist did not have time to finish before his disappearance in August 2011.

Where's Joan?

She is here in the church in a rather demure pose.

Church for Sunday...Priory of Saint-Laurent, Palluau-sur-Indre

The shop-front entrance of the former Priory of Saint Laurent in Palluau-sur-Indre (36) belies the treasures that lie within.Many of its internal walls are covered in frescoes dating back as far as the 12th century. They have survived in spite of a revolution and unspectacular renovations.

 

More info here

Church for Sunday - the former Carolingian sanctuary at Cravant-les-Coteaux

Today we feature the church of Saint Léger which sits in the old town 'Vieux Bourg' of Cravant-les-Coteaux. 

The former Carolingian sanctuary has a nave which  dates from the 9th century and is one of the rare well-preserved types of the Carolingian dynasty. The nave leads to the choir which dates from the 12th century and the Notre Dame chapel, occupying the south east transept from the 15th century. 

Despite lying unused for nearly a thousand years, the sanctuary surprisingly stayed intact . In 1865, it was bought by the Société Archéologique de France at a public auction. In 1933 it was 'sold', to the Association des Amis du Vieux Cravant, for the sum of 100 francs. More info. here 

Church on Sunday - Saint-Calais chapel - Chateau de Blois

More here