And I am staying around Sancerre, this time with more time to see things than in the past. My last minute road warrior idea of a vacation took off by car in 5h25 to the beautiful Sancerre in the Cher dept 18 of the region of Centre Val de Loire! Again, all around this is wine country but I will give something more new pictures. Hope you enjoy it as we did!!
I have enjoy the trip here and will look forward to be back. As done several posts here in Sancerre where we were base and also Bourges (see posts). However, there are some sights that will do apart on a single post as think they deserve special attention. This is the case of the Church Notre Dame of Sancerre!!
The Church Notre Dame located in the Place Du Beffroy, dates from the 17-19C. The church is built on the site of the Saint John chapel destroyed by the collapse of the belfry spire. Begun between 1658 and 1662, at the initiative of Abbé Gouru, who financed the land out of his own funds, construction stopped when he died. It was not until 1754 that construction resumed. The church was consecrated in 1762, but was not completed until 1777. Under the French revolution, the church was sold as a temple of reason and was used for new celebrations and ceremonies. The statues are broken and replaced by the busts of the revolutionary leaders such as Marat, Robespierre, Baras and Le Pelletier surrounding the altar where the Statue of Liberty stood. The church was extended in 1865 by two bays towards the apse. Its facade is redone. Inside, the Saint Vincent Chapel was repainted in 1966. The whole was restored in 1980. The narthex is closed by glass doors. The Chapel of the Blessed Virgin was restored in 1998, during the Marian year. The church consists of a nave and side aisles, an attached belfry serving as a bell tower. Much nicer inside indeed!!
The vault of the nave and the aisles will be redone in 1836. A tribune is built north of the nave, around 1840. At this time new furniture will be acquired to replace the desecrated furniture and partly destroyed during the revolutionary period. In 1853, the leveling of the square required the construction of a step in front of the main door. The church, which had become too small to contain the faithful, was enlarged in 1867 with two bays were added to the nave, closed by an apse and two apses. The facade was redone in 1895. It is the old Hôtel de ville-Belfry built in 1509 which serves as its bell tower. We can notice that there are only statues of men to the right and left of the statues of women, apart from the parish priest. Ditto for the left stained glass which represent saintes and the right stained glass windows which represent Saints.
One of the nice monument of Sancerre not to be missed me think. Hope you enjoy the Church Notre Dame of Sancerre!!
The Diocese of Bourges and parish of Sancerre on the church: https://www.diocese-bourges.org/paroisses/doyenne-de-sauldre-loire/paroisse-de-sancerre
There are really little information on this church online and not on the tourist office..nor city! ..However, i took brochures in the tourist office and the church with a bit more information which I have translated here. Really, need more exposure is a nice Notre Dame Church of Sancerre!!
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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