Thought of as the town’s oldest parish church, the church would have been founded around the year 400 by Saint Aignan, Bishop of Chartres, who, according to tradition, was interred at the same. Close to the château that then dominated the neighborhood where the covered market stands today, Saint Aignan’s was, during the feudal period, the parish church for the counts of Chartres. It is not found in a very extended parish, but in one that is rather wealthy and that is, in particular, inhabited by people who work in the legal profession.
Following a fire that ravaged the neighborhood towards the beginning of the 16th century, the church was completely rebuilt. Only a gate from the 14th century is preserved, which is enclosed at the middle of the church’s façade. The central nave was conceived of in such a way that it could be vaulted with stone, but that work was never finished. In effect, a simple wooden shingle on which one can read the date “1625” stands in place of the originally conceived of arch. The tower was never completed. The church still has some interesting stained glass windows from the early 16th century that are associated with 19th-century creations that came out of the Renaissance spirit.
Sold in 1793 so it could be demolished, it was saved from that fate by its buyers, but then used as a prison, and later as a fodder warehouse or station.
Worship was only re-established at the site in 1823. Of the 11 parish churches that were in existence in Chartres before the Revolution, this was the only one that was re-established. Up until 1878, the façade had been partially hidden by surrounding houses, a fact that explains the unbalanced placement of the entrance.
In other times the Chapel was a hermitage; then it was a priory that was dependent on the Saint Florentin de Bonneval Abbey. The Chapel, founded during the 9th century, was dedicated to Saint Amand and Saint Éman. Saint Éman lived during the 6th century. A native of Cappadocce, he studied in Rome, went to Milan, and then to Autun, and from there to Orléans where he received orders. He finally ended up in Chartres where he carried out many conversions. He was assassinated at a spot close to Illiers. The Chapel was sold during the Revolution; it was taken over and repaired. Today, exhibits devoted to its mosaic designs are presented there, on a regular basis.
The church’s raised choir loft covers a remarkable crypt in which one can see four sarcophagi of Chartres bishops who died during the 6th century.
Nowadays, the structure is no longer used as a church, but houses Chartres’ “Galerie des ventes” [Antique Dealers]. The Roman gate of its former façade can still be found at the front of the building.
Built after the Second World War and inaugurated in 1961, this church is in the process of receiving special classification because of the construction technique used by architect Jean Rédréau. Abbot Franz Stock is interred there.
Mairie de Chartres
Place des Halles
28000 Chartres
Standard tous services :
Tel. :+33 (0)2 37 23 40 00
Fax : +33 (0)2 37 23 41 99
Heures d'ouverture
Du lundi au vendredi : 9 h 00-17 h 00
Le samedi : 9 h 00-12 h 30
