Église Notre-Dame-du-Fort d'Étampes

About

La Collégiale Notre-Dame-du-Fort d'Étampes is a Catholic parish church dedicated to Notre-Dame, located in the French commune of Etampes and the Essonne department. It is an old collegiate, associated with the royal castle located nearby. It was founded around 1022 by King Robert the Pious.

Only the small crypt under the choir remains of this primitive collegiate, completed around the middle of the eleventh century. Probably due to its small size, it is replaced by a new church built during five very close campaigns between 1130 and 1160, plus one for the royal gate to the south which is one of the most remarkable elements of the church. As a whole, the architecture of the church, marked by Parisian and Champagne influences, shows all the stages of the genesis of Gothic architecture, but it is however the late Romanesque style that dominates.

The bell tower is the product of three other construction campaigns until about 1180, and is one of the most elegant in Île-de-France. At the beginning of the 13th century, the church was fortified; Creneled parapets are plated against the walls and a round road is arranged. The result is...