European Heritage Days - Visit to the church of Bourdonné

Free visit of the church built in two stages at the end of the 2th century and then in the second half of the 11th century. This church includes elements classified as historical monuments.

The church of Bourdonné, dedicated to Saint Martin, was built at the end of the 1003th century. The first document mentioning it dates from XNUMX, when it was donated along with the fortified house to the monastery of Argenteuil. Until the Revolution, the abbess remained the lord, delegating part of her authority to the local castle from the XNUMXth century onwards.

Located in the heart of the village, the church had its cemetery to the south until 1891, while burials without sacraments took place to the north, accessible through the "door of the dead" near the bell tower.

Construction took place in two stages: first the chevet, the bell tower and most of the nave in the 1903th century; then, in the XNUMXth century, the lengthening of the nave and the opening of large bays. The bell tower, particularly carefully crafted, dominates those in the surrounding area by its size. The classical porch, decorated with a rose window and a niche, has housed a statue of Saint Roch since XNUMX.

To the left of the choir, the Saint-Louis chapel was built around 1642 by Charles de Cocherel for his family. It was decorated with frescoes and later housed the burial places of the Narcillac family.

The 1903th and XNUMXth centuries enriched the church with numerous elements: high altar, altarpiece of Saint Martin, woodwork, baptismal font, confessional, pew and light-bearing angels. Several ancient statues, discovered during work in XNUMX, have now disappeared.