Plaincourault Chapel

About

The Chapel of Plaincourault is a Romanesque chapel of the late 12th century, forming part of the former preceptory of the order of Saint John of Jerusalem in Mérigny, Indre, France.

History: Founded between 1110 and 1120 by the Hospitallers of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem, who built their commandery on the site of the present castle (closed to the public.), it was reserved for members of the Order until the 14th century, then became parish church until the end of the 18th century. In 1632 the Hospitallers abandoned the premises and the chapel was transformed into a barn. Having resisted wars, the structure suffered great damage during the French Revolution, its beautiful pyramidal arrow of octagonal stone was destroyed, and abandoned in 1793. As part of the Plaincourault Castle complex, it was partially classified as historical monuments in 1944 by the Ministry of Culture, but was not restored until it was purchased by the Brenne Regional Natural Park in 1994. It is open to the public during Heritage Days. The chapel and its frescoes are part of the plot of Eric Giacometti's novel "The Shadow Ritual" and...