. From the 10th century, Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher (Loir-et-Cher) was the center of an important castellany dependent on the counts of Blois. Eudes I, count of Blois (r. 97696), constructed a castle here in the 9th century. Conflicting sources date the church of Saint-Aignan to either the 8th or 9th century, with one source suggesting the consecration of a church by monks from Saint-Martin of Tours.
In the 12th century, the church at Saint-Aignan housed a chapter of secular canons as well as a parish and was dependent on the archbishop of Bourges. The crypt mirrors the upper church, with ambulatory and three apsidal chapels, and extends one bay in length, with side aisles. Romanesque and some Gothic wall paintings survive from the last quarter of the 12th century on the upper walls and vaults of the axial and south chapels and in the main apse. With its white ground and lighter color scheme, the main apse contains an enthroned Christ who gives keys and a scroll to SS. Peter and James the Lesser, and cripples surround them. In contrast to the main apse, the frescoes elsewhere, in highly saturated colors, illustrate the life of St. Gilles, the Glory of the Lamb, the raising of Lazarus, and the life of Christ. With origins in the 13th century, the chateau consists mostly of 15th - and 16th-century construction; it is not open to the public.
Stacy L. Boldrick
Bayle, Maylis. “Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher.” Congres archeologique (Blesois) 139(1981):334-36. Devailly, Guy. Le Berry du Xe siecle au milieu de Xllle: etude politique, religieuse, sociale, et economique. Paris: Mouton, 1973.
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