Saint Pierre is the most important church in Chartres, after the Cathedral. It has been the parish headquarters since the Concordat was drawn up in 1804. Up until the Revolution, it was the church of the Benedictine Saint-Père-en-Vallée Monastery
The Saint Père Abbey, founded by Queen Bathilde, wife of Clovis II, successor of Dagobert, was enclosed by walls that were built between 1033 and 1069; during the 12th century, it was inside the town’s walls. Pillaged and destroyed during Norman raids, the abbey church was granted, during the 10th or 11th century, a tower porch that could be use as a place to retreat in the event of a siege. It resisted the fires that occurred in 1077 and 1134. The pre-Roman church, contemporaneous with that tower, was damaged by the 1077 fire. It was replaced by the current church, which was built over several stages towards the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century: the lower sections of the choir loft (1100-1170), nave (1200-1250), and the high sections of the choir loft (after 1250). The whole complex constitutes a remarkable Gothic masterpiece.
The church has a precious group of stained glass windows that date back to the 13th century. It has gathered together elements of 16th-century stained glass that were present in other churches that were destroyed during the Revolution; they present extremely rich colors. The monastic buildings were once transformed into cavalry barracks (Rapp barracks); today they are annexed to the Marceau high school (18th-century structures, with dormitory, capitular hall, archives area). The Saint Hilaire Church, to be used by the inhabitants of the neighborhood, was raised next to the Saint-Père-en-Vallée Monastery, where today’s square is located. This medieval church was demolished in 1804, under the pretext of making access the Saint Pierre Church easier.
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
