“Cléry-Saint-André, la collégiale Notre-Dame”

Located on the Loire’s left bank some fifteen kilometres from Orleans, Cléry-Saint-André lies on the road to Spain and was long made up of houses devoted to the service of travellers and pilgrims; it also boasts the collegiate church housing King Louis XI’s tomb. Rebuilt in the 15^th century by Charles VII and then by Louis XI, Notre-Dame de Cléry collegiate church is an edifice in the flamboyant gothic style, its purity and elegance of line combining Parisian models with Orleans’ building techniques. Installation of the west façade’s great stained-glass window in 2000 marked the completion of restoration work that began in the 1960s, aimed at returning the edifice (which has been listed as a Historical Monument since 1840) to its former grandeur and quality. 

Parcours du Patrimoine series no.392
Text: Philippe Araguas and Marie-Anne Sarda
Editions Lieux Dits - July 2014
64 pages, €8