The best traffic-free bike rides around Levesville-La-Chenard

In the 15th century, the original church, probably from the 12th century, was burned down. During the reconstruction, a side aisle was added. The bell tower dates from the late 19th century, as do the painted motifs on the walls.

The church of Châtenay, which stands near its cemetery in a modest village in the Beauce region, is placed under the invocation of Saint Sulpice. Its construction could date from the 16th century. Behind a porch tower that rises majestically at its entrance, a rectangular nave of four bays serves as both nave and choir, ending in a flat chevet; an appendage to the east serves as a sacristy. A seigneurial chapel opens on the north side of the choir. To the south, a side aisle with its own entrance was built in 1720, the date when the tower was also supposedly raised. This two-story tower, covered by a gable roof, is built on a square plan, the second story set back from the first and pierced on each face by two semicircular bays. Inside, the nave is covered with a wooden cradle vault with exposed tie beams, the side aisles being rib-vaulted. Large pointed arches separate the nave from the south side aisle. On the eastern wall, large pointed bays have been walled up for the presentation of the large altarpieces. Buttresses with glacis, thick but narrow, reinforce the side walls at the level of separation of the bays, as well as at the chevet. The Sauvegarde de l'Art Français paid a sum of 75,000 F in 1993 to ensure the waterproofing of this building.

The Saint-Pierre d'Ardelu church is a religious monument located in the commune of Ardelu, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Although its existence is attested, the available sources do not specify either its period of construction or its detailed history. This type of building, typical of the French countryside, generally served as a place of worship and gathering for the local community. In rural regions such as the Centre-Val de Loire, parish churches played a central role in daily life. They were often the heart of religious, social, and sometimes administrative activities. Their architecture reflected local resources and know-how, while meeting the spiritual needs of the inhabitants.

The nave dates from the 13th century, the sacristy from the 18th. Of very simple construction, the church nevertheless contains masterpieces. First, an antependium in painted Cordoba leather, representing Saint Médard; classified as a historical monument, just like the bells. A wooden cabinet from the 13th century containing a necrology. A painted wooden altarpiece from the 12th century, featuring two statues, repainted in 1893, representing St Médard and the Virgin Mary. A churchwardens' bench serving as an altar.

A tower and a side aisle were added to the original Roman building in the 16th and 18th centuries. In 1879, the chapel of the Virgin was raised. In 1906, vaults were built in the neo-Gothic style. At the corner of the square, a part of the entrance to the priory of Saint-Pierre de Roinville from the 15th century remains. A shield with the arms of Cluny remains.

It was at the request of the parishioners of Orgères that the decision was made to demolish the old church. Typically, this type of partial or total destruction comes from the religious hierarchy. The current church was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century. The reconstruction is quite successful, judging by the choice of materials and the proportions of the building. The stained-glass windows created by the master glazier Loire are perfectly integrated into this new ensemble.

The nave consists of a main nave and an aisle to the north. A bell tower is located to the south, as well as a seigneurial chapel. The choir consists of a straight bay and a semicircular apse. A first church was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries by Étienne de Denonville. It was modified in the 16th century by Pierre de Hémard. A seigneurial chapel was built shortly after the death of Jacques de Hémard, Lord of Denonville, in 1559. On the old vault, in 1658, one could still see "the coat of arms and blazons of the Hémard family, which are six sable burels, around which are the hat and cords of a cardinal from the family." The vault was rebuilt by the Brisay family in 1722. A project to extend the church was considered in 1755 but never carried out. The north aisle was built in 1770.

The Saint-Martin de Viabon church dates back to the 11th century. Its plan includes a nave ending in a semicircular apse. In the 15th century, a four-bay aisle forming gables was erected to the north. The bell tower also dates from this period. Adjacent to the south wall of the choir, it is octagonal in shape and pierced by sixteen overlapping pointed arches. It rests on a quadrangular tower with powerful buttresses. A semicircular arch known as a "wolf's tooth" arch survives between two buttresses in the south wall of the nave. It is surmounted by a small sculpted stone head at the base of the pointed arch window. The apse's framework is ancient. In 1862, the paneling of the main nave was replaced by a plaster-covered latticework with faux stone carvings. The restoration of the choir walls and vault, as well as the hollow brick vault of the side aisle, also dates from the same period. This building underwent numerous interior alterations in the 19th century. The eastern end of the side aisle is occupied by the Chapel of the Virgin, entirely decorated with paintings and gilding in 1887. For the restoration of the framework and roof, particularly the end of the side aisle, the Sauvegarde de l'Art Français (French Art Protection Agency) awarded a donation of €17,000 in 2002.