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Eglise Saint-Pierre

The Saint-Pierre Church

Do you know who designed the stained glass windows in the church of Vendeuvre?

History

Wars destroyed the original church in the 15th century, leading to the construction of the present-day Saint-Pierre Church, erected between 1502 and 1616.
In 1940, the devastation of the war led to a 20-year-long restoration process. As we currently see it, the building stands as it was when it reopened for worship in 1963, on the site of the old cemetery.
A noteworthy funerary plaque, embedded in the outer wall of the apse at the choir level, commemorates the burial of a former parish priest.
A 19th-century chapel is home to the graves of the lords of the Château de Vendeuvre. The porch belfry provides a link to the Renaissance period. On the left, one can admire a magnificent Pietà, a remarkable specimen of Champagne statuary from the late 15th century.

The war memorial

After the First World War, the ‘Sainterie’ also produced commemorative plaques adorning numerous churches. In the early 1920s, France began building countless war memorials all over the country. In 1921, a competition was organised in Vendeuvre to build the town’s memorial. The design submitted by architects HUGOT and ROGER from Troyes was commissioned.
Florentin MEFFROY started his career as a sculptor at the ‘Sainterie’. He created the plaster model of the statue ornamenting the monument and won first prize. His portrayal of ‘La France au Rhin’ (‘France at the Rhine’) was cast in bronze by the GODARD foundry in Paris.
This monument inaugurated on 24 September 1922 in the town hall square was transferred to the site of the old cemetery in 1990.
It honours the memory of 74 soldiers from Vendeuvre who died for France.

(1854–1927)

Curiosities

The church features some very fine artwork, including 16th-century paintings and sculptures, including a remarkable high-relief depicting Saint-Hubert, restored for the ‘Le Beau XVIème’ (‘The beautiful 16th century’) exhibition held in Troyes in 2009. It also features a pulpit from the Abbey of Clairvaux, as well as a stunning 1649 altar credited to François GIRARDON.
The resolutely modern touch was brought by Max INGRAND with his magnificent stained glass windows. A dozen statues from the Manufacture d’art chrétien (Christian Art Factory), known as the ‘Sainterie’ of Vendeuvre, embellish the church, some were donated by the NICOT family who took over the firm in 1890 and ran it until 1962.

(1908–1969)

Max INGRAND

A student of Jacques GRUBER, he was soon acknowledged as a talented Master glazier and decorator. After designing stained glass windows for the Cathedrals of Rouen, Strasbourg, Tours, Beauvais, and Sao Paulo, he turned his attention to the Saint-Pierre Church. Today, one may admire a unique set comprising some ten windowpanes, including an oculus reminiscent of the local legend of Valsuzenay.