Collegiate Church of St. Aignan, Orléans, France

One of the most frequently altered churches in the Loire Valley, St-Aignan was consecrated in 1509 in the form you see today. It possesses one of France's earliest vaulted hall crypts, complete with polychromed capitals. Scholars of pre-Romanesque art view the place with interest; its 10th- and 11th-century aesthetics are rare. Aboveground, the church's Renaissance-era choir and transept remain, but the Protestants burned the nave during the Wars of Religion.

In a wood-carved shrine are the remains of the church's patron saint Aignan, or Agnan(358-453). He was the Bishop of Orléans, who assisted Roman general Flavius Aetius in the defense of the city against Attila the Hun in 451.

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User Reviews

Andalie Charrier (2 years ago)
Reservation made on the Tourist Office website (online therefore) Theatrical visit, by electric candle (to avoid any incidents) the gentleman told us the whole history of the collegiate church as well as its crypt from the Middle Ages to now. Very interesting and instructive and above all unusual! Which will please both children and adults.

Lara Baker (3 years ago)
Incredibly beautiful collegiate church, which, unfortunately, was half destroyed during the Huguenot wars. The relics of Saint Enyan, a local saint who saved Orleans from the invasion of the Huns led by Attila, are kept here. Some of the stained-glass windows were irretrievably lost during the Second World War, but the rest of the church miraculously did not suffer. You should definitely go here, but the church is not always open to the public

Gilles Vaillant (3 years ago)
Great guide for an informative visit Thank you Yves for this good time

Marie France SALMON (3 years ago)
Guided tour in dramatized form. Fascinating...impressive historic site. To make this visit, contact the tourist office for a reservation. Too bad the church can't be visited

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

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The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

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Collegiate Church of St. Aignan

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