Paris1972-Versailles2003

Again, our intention was to visit our friend winegrower in St Nicolas de Bourgueil and on the way back to see the fortress of Chinon,(see posts), but as road warrior trip has it on our way back home we stop at Candes-Saint-Martin (see post).  I have heard of the Collegiate Church Saint Martin and all its wonders ,so took a brief detour and went directly for it. this is one of the wonders of my belle France not to be missed me think. And we like it so much, we will be back soon.Hope you enjoy this philosophical and historical town and post.

The town of Candes-Saint-Martin or Candes is in the department of Indre-et-Loire,37 in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Located at the confluence of the Loire and the Vienne rivers. The road warrior came along the D 751 ,and for info there is no public transport offer available in the territory of Candes-Saint-Martin itself. The town was founded by Martin de Tours on the western border of his diocese in the last quarter of the 4C, Candes was one of the first parishes in Tours. Saint Martin died in Candes on November 8, 397, which established the notoriety of this small parish where, in the Middle Ages, stood a collegiate church famous for the richness of its sculpted decoration. The precise time when Martin founded the parish of Candes is not known, perhaps around 387, at the same time as he destroyed a pagan temple nearby , In October 397, Martin came to Candes to settle a dispute. , of an unspecified nature, between religious folks ; he was then about 81 years old, was very tired and knew that this trip could be fatal for him On the spot, he managed to restore peace but he was so weakened that his return was not possible. Finally, he died on November 8, 397 in a building on the site of which a chapel of the collegiate church of Candes may later be built.

The 12-13C Collegiate Church Saint Martin, fortified in the 15C and restored several times until the 21C. This pilgrimage church is very strongly inspired by the Gothic style of the West but the richness of its decoration, nave and north porch and the fortified arrangements which were added to it make it a unique building. In 1050, the Church of Candes was mentioned as a “collegiate” and its chapter had twelve canons. The old Saint-Maurice church being ruined, the current Saint-Martin de Candes Church was built between 1175 and the middle of the 13C.It is characterized by a very rich sculpted decoration which adorns its transept and its nave but, above all, by a monumental porch open on the north side of the latter.

Work begins with the choir. It is possible that the chapel of the north apse of this choir, known as the Saint-Martin Chapel, reputed to be built on the site of Martin’s mortuary house, will follow the construction of the main apse and the south apse of the chapel. choir, then the southern chapel which serves as a sacristy in modern times, all in the last quarter of the 12C. The construction continues with the northern chapel, known as the Chapel of the Virgin, adjoining the north to the Chapel of St. Martin and the transept with his sculptures during the first quarter of the 13C.

The planned nave had to be of the same height as the transept, less high than that built and which therefore required the reworking of the transept. Its width was also different, with the side aisles narrower than the main aisle, which explains the irregularities at the level of the connection between the nave and the transept. The architecture of this part of the building, such as it is ultimately retained, seems to be strongly inspired by the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre de Poitiers (see post) , while the modenature recalls the choir of Cathedral Saint-Julien in Le Mans (see post).

The facade is accompanied by two powerful masonry blocks, in the form of towers at the angles, completed by intermediate buttresses terminated in pinnacles engaged and integrated into the decor. These buttresses frame a single pointed arch portal surmounted by a colonnade and an arcade which continue on the buttresses, a rose then a niche today empty; a semicircular bay, on either side of the buttresses, completes the arrangement. The entrance opens onto a large porch measuring 9.50 × 5 meters in interior dimensions open at the level of the second bay of the nave. The porch, made up of three bays, is ribbed vaulted. In its center, a monolithic column. Above the porch, the so-called Saint-Michel Chapel is also made up of three spans covered with ribbed vaults superimposed on those of the porch. It is accessible by a narrow staircase made in the thickness of the wall and connected to the spiral staircase from a corner of the facade The porch is adorned, externally and internally, with numerous statues accompanied by a rich sculpted decoration.  Even if it is not formally established, the very probable vocation of the pilgrimage to the Church of Candes Saint-Martin is reinforced by the opening of the porch, with direct access to a path inherited from an ancient path that runs alongside the Vienne and the Loire rivers, The realization of its decoration intervenes a few years later; however, it remains unfinished for unknown reasons (possibly financial).

It is probably to respond to the insecurity linked to the Hundred Years War that the church was partly fortified in the 15C. The two towers which flank the facade and the two others, at the angles of the porch, see their summits resumed. and crowned by machicolations and crenellations, these four fortified towers are connected by a walkway which climbs the slopes of the roof. A bretèche was built on the facade of the porch and watch rooms were fitted out in the upper part of the apses, raised for the occasion. It is possible that the collegiate church was then designed as a small fort that could serve as a refuge for the population of Candes in the event of an attack; it thus becomes one of the rare fortified churches in Touraine.  Despite the fortification of the church, the troops of Gabriel I of Montgommery destroyed certain objects including a wax bust of Louis XI, a gift from the king himself, and mutilated the statues of the porch in 1562, at the start of the Wars of Religion. They burn the chartrier of the collegiate church. The destruction of these documents is at the origin of an imperfect knowledge of the medieval history of Candes and the collegiate church, for which only two texts from before the 19C remain, which mention its history.

The 18C altar, clad in black marble, is the only liturgical furniture preserved from the Collegiate Church Saint Martin in the 18C is decorated in its center with a dove on a radiant background. The tabernacle, placed on the altar, is surmounted by a Christ on the cross. Until the modifications of the 19C, it was not leaned against the apse altar in the Roman style but located at the crossing of the transept. The three paintings represent : The Baptism of Christ (16C), Saint Paul fallen on the road to Damascus (17C), and The charity of Saint Martin (1837). In 2017, only this last painting is visible to the public above the entrance to the Saint-Martin Chapel; the other two are kept in the sacristy, which is not accessible.  The statues of the 17C, in terracotta on a painted wooden support, form a group composed of a Christ on the cross framed by the Blessed Virgin and Saint John. These statues were placed at the entrance to the nave, on the north side, after 1715. The bronze bell, cast in 1728 to be installed in the reconstructed bell tower, is called “Marie-Louise”. It was restored in 2013.

The official Collegiale Church Saint Martin webpage : https://saint-martindetours.com/collegiale-saint-martin-candes-saint-martin/

The Touraine Val de Loire tourist office on the Collegiale Church Saint Martin :  https://www.touraineloirevalley.co.uk/cultural-heritage/saint-martin-collegiate-church-candes-saint-martin/

The city of Candes St Martin on its heritage : https://candes-saint-martin.fr/category/tourisme/

There you go folks, this is a masterpiece that needs to be seen and seen again we will. The Collegiate Church Saint Martin at Candes Saint Martin, a loving combination of architecture, history,and nice stories. Hope you enjoy the post as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!!

So this was the surprise of the trip to the Loire Valley. I intended to go for our wines in St Nicolas de Bourgueil and see the fortress of Chinon,(see posts), but as road warrior trip has it on our way back home we stop at Candes-Saint-Martin. I have heard of all the wonders of this little town , especially the Collegiale Church Saint Martin,(see post), the reason to stop by finally!!! I told you we have endless opportunities of seeing wonders in my belle France. This will be an introductory post to Candes Saint Martin, sure we will be back for more; hope you enjoy it as I.

The town of Candes-Saint-Martin or Candes is in the department of Indre-et-Loire,37 in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Located at the confluence of the Loire and the Vienne rivers, by Tours and towards Saumur, Tours,is only 50 km ,Chinon, 14 km ,Saumur, 12 km . Access to the town is exclusively by road, with the D 751 (our route) which runs along the south bank of the Vienne river and which links Chinon to Saumur via Candes-Saint-Martin and the D 147 which, from Candes, joins Loudun south. No public transport offer is available in the territory of Candes-Saint-Martin itself.

Things to consider, amazing!  The area of Candes-Saint-Martin is exposed to the risk of flooding, either by overflow of the Loire and the Vienne rivers, or by reflux of the Loire in flood in the valley of the Vienne. The subsoil of Candes-Saint-Martin, dug many cavities and several quarries linked to the past exploitation of tuffeau stones, is thus weakened and exposed to landslides on the escarpments or on the slopes or even cavity collapses. A plan for the prevention of natural risks of land movements, approved on August 12, 1991, establishes a zoning of the territory according to the intensity of this risk. Candes-Saint-Martin is one of the 23 towns of Indre-et- Loire concerned in 2015 by the special intervention plan (PPI) for the Avoine nuclear power plant set up within a radius of 10 km around the power plant and which provides, in the event of a crisis and under the responsibility of the prefecture, sheltering or total or partial evacuation of the population.

A bit of history of the town I like

Founded by Martin de Tours on the western border of his diocese in the last quarter of the 4C, Candes was one of the first parishes in Tours. Saint Martin died in Candes on November 8, 397, which established the notoriety of this small parish where, in the Middle Ages, stood a collegiate church famous for the richness of its sculpted decoration. The precise time when Martin founded the parish of Candes is not known, perhaps around 387, at the same time as he destroyed a pagan temple nearby. In October 397, Martin came to Candes to settle a dispute. , of an unspecified nature, between religious folks ; he was then about 81 years old, was very tired and knew that this trip could be fatal for him. On the spot, he managed to restore peace, but he was so weakened that his return was not possible. Finally, he died on November 8, 397 in a building on the site of which a chapel of the Collegiate Church of Candes (see post) may later be built.

After the death of Martin, Candes quickly becomes a place where pilgrims come to meditate in the cell where he died, after having prayed on his tomb in Tours; From the second millennium, they sometimes continue their journey to Santiago de Compostela, Many personalities make the trip to Candes, such as Saint Geneviève, the queens Clotilde and Radegonde, or King Charles the Bald who thus inaugurates a long tradition among French sovereigns, King Louis XI made several trips to Saint-Martin de Candes; before him, Philippe Auguste and Charles VII had made the same trip, but the reasons for all these royal trips are not known.

The first fortified castle, near or connected to the city wall, damaged during the Hundred Years War, was repaired at the end of the 14C and the beginning of the 15C. No source makes it possible to restore its appearance or to determine the time of its construction. It was demolished in 1485, replaced by a less austere castle and more in line with the requirements in terms of comfort. This castle, whose construction was completed in 1525, bears the name of Château Vieux; it continues to welcome the archbishops and their guests In the 15C,

The wars of religion cause significant damage to Candes. In 1781, the castle new purchaser hastens to destroy the castle to rebuild it in 1820 a little further to the south the terrace of the new castle is built on the site of the old house demolished; this new castle, baptized Château Neuf, is now a private residence. In 1791, the chapter’s property was seized, the religious dispersed and the church closed to worship. The church was finally reopened in 1802.

The municipal territory of Candes-Saint-Martin is registered in the Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes, registered in 2000 as World Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its landscapes, historic sites, monuments and agricultural activities.

Other than the collegiale church, which is a must (see post) other things to see in Candes Saint Martin are :

The Château Vieux or old castle of the archbishops of Tours was built from the 15C to the 17C to replace a fortified castle that has disappeared. it was until the end of the 17C a summer residence for the archbishops of Tours; without being demolished, it is then replaced by a new castle. The Château Neuf or new castle, replaced after the French revolution replace and older construction built from 1682 and which fulfills the same function of episcopal residence. A semicircular portal surmounted by machicolations gives access to its courtyard and a semicircular avant-corps of its north facade juts out onto the terrace.

The mansion of the provost was the seat of the local court until the 18C under the presidency of one of the canons, elevated to the rank of provost. A staircase turret accompanies its north facade. Near the collegiate church, four houses or residences from the 15-16C ; these are the Old Logis de Candes from the 16C has a stone spiral staircase turret .  A 16C house had, until the enlargement of its bays , Renaissance capitals; they have disappeared but the moldings framing the oculus and the door still remain. Another house from the 16C, was from 1769 until the French revolution the presbytery of the churches; located to the north of the latter, it retains its staircase turret, the roof of which has disappeared. Built in the 12C and remodeled in the 16C a canonical house served as a presbytery after the French revolution; its west facade is pierced with a Romanesque window and it has, overlooking its inner courtyard, a stone staircase turret.

The Puits-Saint-Michel cellar mill, of a type common in the west of Touraine and in Anjou, is still in good condition, rue du Puits-Saint-Michel ,The miller’s accommodation, adjacent to the mill, is also preserved . The castle with its park located outside the medieval wall, spans this street, like the one which adjoins the tour l’Enfant or tower of the child and tour d’Aubigny tower. Built in 1490 but extensively altered later, this tower kept one of the city gates, more specifically reserved for the use of lords.

The 15C garrison house, which was very much altered later, is part of the medieval defensive system of Candes on the old Fontevraud road, near the Porte de Torché. The Maison-Dieu or chaplaincy, route de Compostelle, was in the 16C a hospice welcoming patients and pilgrims. Founded by one of the canons of Candes ten years before the French revolution, the house of charity, also known as the canon’s house, is a place where the instruction of young girls is then carried out under the guidance of nuns of the congregation of the Sisters of Providence of Saumur; the latter also provide care for the needy in the parish. Once the revolutionary episode has passed, nuns continued their activity there until WWII, limiting themselves to medical aid from 1905.

The city of Candes St Martin on its heritage : https://candes-saint-martin.fr/category/tourisme/

The Touraine Val de Loire tourist office on one of the most beautiful villages of France, Candes St Martin : https://www.touraineloirevalley.co.uk/candes-saint-martin-most-beautiful-villages-france/

The Saumur tourist office on Candes St Martin : https://www.ot-saumur.fr/CANDES-SAINT-MARTIN_a31863.html

There you go folks, a dandy in my lovely Loire Valley of my belle France. Another nice surprise to finally stop by Candes Saint Martin, really needs a revisit ,and I will. Hope you enjoy the post and do make it here too.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!