Can you guess?

On a recent outing up to the garden festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire we stopped of at the church of Saint-Sulpice in Vallières-les-Grandes where we could not help but notice the adjoining property...

can you guess what he does for a living?

Church on Sunday - St Jean-Baptist Maulevrier

On our recent visit over to Maulevrier we also visited the church of St Jean-Baptiste in the town. There has been a church on the site since the 12th century,of which only the bell tower remains as most the original church was destroyed during the wars of religion. The church we see today is the 19th century reconstruction in a neogothic style which also included the raising of the of the bell tower to its new height.

It does not take long to find our Joan as she sits between the front portals at the entrance to the church...and in fine style!

As you enter the church its scale is surprising and its nave delightful

The apse has stained glass windows set in Gothic style canopies

Side chapel

example of 'station'

Both outside aisles of the nave are adorned by large statues of saints.

It was interesting to see St.Louis IX and St Genevieve represented so far from Paris. Coincidentally as we read the information under the statue of St.Louis we realised it was actually his feast day (25th August) on the day of our visit. 

We also had a plesent surprise of a second Joan!

Church on Sunday - chapel Notre-Dame-de-Tous-Aides at Maulévrier (49)

When over visiting the Parc Oriental at Maulevrier we popped into this lovely little chapel...without a Joan.

Church on Sunday - Saint Pierre de Rest, Montsoreau

The church of Saint Pierre de Rest in Montsoreau  takes its name (Rest or Retz) from a former Gallo-Roman villa that once occupied the site and is dedicated,appropriately enough to Saint Peter the patron saint of fishermen. Its situation which was actually outside the walls of the village,on a flood plain,meant that it was lost to the river many times over its history and also has to compete for favour with four other churches actually in the village. 

Despite this,from its 12th century origins survive it did. Survival meant raising the ground level around the building to hold back the river and blocking up some of the windows. To gain access you have to press a switch by the right of the door under the porch.

Inside a long narrow nave, restored in the 18th century, leads through the chancel to a beautiful apse with detailed columns and sculpted capitals plus three stained glass windows.

The church features two narrow side chapels.

The ceiling of the nave did not instil you with a great deal of confidence with regards to its construction but one assumes it has been there a long time and doesn't intend going anywhere soon.

The church appears to have two baptismal fonts plus a third 'bowl' described as 'monolithic'.

There is a plethora of art work with copies of major works  plus a modern interpretation of Jesus and his twelve apostles,on which the jury is still out on!

Other features include a simple pulpit,

an interesting set of 'stations of the cross'

plus some 15th century choir stalls which were originally in the nearby abbey at Fontevraud.

It has a fine collection of stained glass windows...

including this intriguing one which features a saintly figure of a shepherdess 'Jeanne', (could this be our 'Joan'?) which has been dedicated to a lost niece. 

Loire Valley church on Sunday - Church of Saint Aubin, Turquant

Today we visit the church of Saint Aubin in the village of Turquant on the South bank of the river Loire near Montsoreau.

Origins date from 12th xentury but as ever much altered over the centuries.

Internally the white tufa stone makes for a surprisingly bright interior.

Where's Joan?...no place for her here sadly!