23 – Chartres Gallery – Former Sainte-Foy church (new in 2021)
The illumination of the Chartres Galery is a tribute to the floral theme inspired by the decorations of the 14th century stained glass windows of the Notre-Dame de Chartres cathedral.
About the Chartres Gallery, former Sainte-Foy church
Opposite the multimedia library, the esplanade de la Résistance leads to an isolated Roman doorway. This is all that remains of a church dedicated to Sainte-Foy. The former eleventh century priory, built outside the city walls, became a parish church when it was enclosed within the city. It was acquired as a national asset during the Revolution, given to the people of Chartres as a theatre and altered for this purpose. The four spans of its nave were destroyed and the choir enclosed by a new façade. A building was constructed where the nave had been, with only the doorway being preserved. The theatre was in use until 1860. It then became a cinema, before taking on its current function as an auction room. The building was demolished in 1971 and the Sainte-Foy garden occupies the site of the vanished nave.
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