Virtual visit of the church here For further : The Church of Saint Joan of Arc is the last of the buildings to be built on the same site since the end of the Middle Ages. It is made of freestone, brick and slate. Combining tradition and modernity, the church of Gien is very characteristic of the first reconstruction, based on the desire to rebuild, if not identically, with the greatest respect for the regional architectural tradition. Thus it borrows as much from regionalism as from modernity, skillfully combining brick and reinforced concrete, or traditional masonry and modern construction system.
It overlooks the town of Gien. Only the bell tower withstood the bombings of June 1940. The church was rebuilt in the 1950s, in red brick, to harmonize with the neighboring castle. The stained glass windows represent Joan of Arc and the Stations of the Cross is in Faience de Gien. It also has a magnificent organ.
The attribution of the Heritage of the 20th century label applies to any building or territory representative of the architectural or urban creations of the 20th century. The labeled 58 buildings were officially labeled by the Regional Heritage and Sites Commission in June 2016. The Loire Valley center region is recognized as a region of builders since the Middle Ages, since heritage has continued to develop . 12 monuments have obtained the label in the Loiret, they are thus identified as material witnesses of the architectural, technical, economic, social, political and cultural evolution of our society The church of Gien The Church of Saint Joan of Arc is the last of the buildings to be built on the same site since the end of the Middle Ages. The royal collegiate church of Saint-Etienne, built in Flamboyant Gothic style by Anne de Beaujeu, was inaugurated in 1514. The current bell tower is undoubtedly a little earlier. The church was damaged during the Revolution and decommissioned in 1828. In 1832, the Saint-Pierre church, built by the architect François Pagot, was opened to the faithful. It was bombed on June 15, 1940 and the upper parts collapsed during the night of June 21 to 22, following a fire. The work of restoring the bell tower and that of rebuilding the church were handled independently of each other but under the responsibility of the same architects. The new brick-facing church, entirely designed by architects Paul and Jean Gélis, from 1948, is dedicated to Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc, it was inaugurated on March 28, 1954. The terracotta capitals are the work of Henri Navarre for the nave and the choir, of Georges Muguet for the aisles. The stained glass windows are the work of Max Ingrand (nave), François Bertrand (western facade and chevet) and M. Herzelle (baptistery). The glass tile decor was also designed by Max Ingrand. The organ sets, designed by Paul Gélis, were produced by the Strasbourg maker Roethinger. The five bells were cast by the Bollée establishment. The Stations of the Cross was chosen from the models of the pottery of Gien, it is the work of Jean Bertholle.
The architect was careful to point out that the contractor Delau would provide the same clay to the sculptor as that used for the manufacture of the bricks and that the facing blocks would undergo the same firing to harmonize perfectly with the whole. The interest of this building lies in the integration of elements that are part of modernity and tradition. The church is made of freestone, brick and slate. Brick is omnipresent and all its plastic qualities are put to good use. Inside, the large semicircular arches, the barrel vault framed by double arches, the historiated terracotta capitals, made by the sculptors Henri Navarre and Georges Muguet, appear to be inspired by Romanesque art. The framework of the building is built entirely of reinforced concrete using modern construction techniques. The grandstands are based on a proven post-beam reinforced concrete structure characteristic of the 20th century. Combining tradition and modernity, the church of Gien is very characteristic of the first reconstruction, based on the desire to rebuild, if not identically, with the greatest respect for the regional architectural tradition. Thus it borrows as much from regionalism as from modernity, skillfully combining brick and reinforced concrete, or traditional masonry and modern construction system. A protection file established by Caroline des Buttes in November 2000, Mérimée base and DRAC file for the DRAC plate award ceremony in June 2016.