So here I continue in lovely Chinon and after some other monuments, let me tell you about the churches of Chinon. They are plenty and been over a weekend in service or closed; nevertheless the architecture , history and know them is plenty for this road warrior traveler. Anyway Chinon is just 3h15 with tolls or 3h45 without tolls, from my house and we will be back!
Chinon is located in the Indre-et-Loire department, 37 in the Centre-Val de Loire region. 47 km from Tours, 30 km from Saumur, 80 km from Angers, 85 km from Poitiers, and 305 km from Paris, Also about 314 km (about 195 miles) from my house. We like to go on the D751 linked to Tours, which partly bypasses the city.
There are so many monuments in Chinon, and of course, plenty of churches; I will pick three as my historically incline favorites. Let me tell you a bit about them, and hope you enjoy the tour. We took a ride by car as hilly roads and my Dad on wheelchair would have been difficult if impossible. We stop each time we reach a church.
The Saint-Étienne Church , the parish church in the district of Saint-Étienne, was entirely rebuilt in the 15C on a very simple plan: a single nave and a very bright choir lit by numerous windows. These bays now house glass roofs in particular four episodes from the religious life of Chinon and the surrounding area: the death of Saint Martin at Candes in 397, the miracle of Saint Maxime in Chinon in the 5C, Sainte Radegonde coming to visit Saint John on the site of the chapel which will bear his name, finally the recognition of Charles VII by Joan of Arc in 1429. Service going on…
The Collegiate Church of Saint-Maxime (Mexme) was the main religious building in Chinon until the French revolution, today a cultural center. The Romanesque nave from the year 1000 houses a small wooden theater. The western massif from 1050 contains wall paintings from the 12C, 13C, and 15C, and a beautiful staircase from the 18C. Was closed.
The Sainte-Radegonde Chapel is a 6C hermitage on which was built a troglodyte chapel, which has been occupied since very ancient times. It was undoubtedly a pre-Christian place of worship, as suggested, among other things, by the well that had been dug there. The complex has three remaining cellars, as well as interesting galleries and interior rooms. The chapel contains numerous wall paintings, including a famous 12C ‘royal hunt’ that is believed to depict members of the Plantagenet family. Was closed.
The Church Saint Maurice at Pl Saint Maurice was rebuilt in the 12C and gradually enlarged until the 16C. The lower nave was added in 1543. Romanesque bell tower. Gothic, Angevin style nave and choir, Renaissance aisle. Rich carved decoration inside. You can admire the figurative nice 19C stained-glass windows and from the 1950s in the aisle. The cemetery was located on the Place Saint-Maurice, then transferred to the heights of Chinon. It was built under Henry II of Plantagenets who later became King of England.Was closed.
The City of Chinon on its heritage : https://www.ville-chinon.com/loisirs/tourisme-et-patrimoine/decouvrir-ma-ville
There you go folks, a nice tour of the wonderful churches of splendid Chinon, a must to visit me think. We will be back for more soon. Hope you enjoy the post and do visit. And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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