Ancienne église Notre-Dame-des-Echelles

English translation

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History

According to tradition, the church would have been founded in 1217 by a lord of Preuilly on his return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In fact, the present building was constructed in the late 11th century (mentioned in a bull in 1099), and consists of a single nave and a narrower three-lobed choir. The latter preserves archaic capitals. In the 12th century, the church belonged to the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Preuilly. It was modified in the 13th century by the creation of a portal, a lancet window, and the reconstruction of the north apse and the apse. In the 15th century, the choir is again vaulted, except for the south apse which retains its barrel vault. The building retains the bases of its 12th-century bell tower. Remains of wall paintings from the 15th and 17th centuries.