A treasure of Romanesque art finally revealed to the public

Under the sun, Monique and Jacques Joguet are waiting in front of the Saint-Martin church, in Nohant-Vic (Indre). “We will finally see the frescoes of this church that we cherish so much. You know, they are famous… ”, they confide. Invited to the inauguration of the site just restored on April 25, the Berrichon couple is one of the 178 subscribers who financed the work of the building.

As of the entrance, visitors are seized by a fabulous image book. The walls of the Choir and the Triomphal Arc reveal around twenty frescoes from the 12th century: The Last Supper, the kiss of Judas, the removal of the body of Saint Martin… Available in ocher, red and yellow tones, they are distinguished by the expressiveness of the characters, with big almond eyes. “The public discovers these decorations in their original splendor,” enthuses Rémi Desalbres, from the Arc & Sites agency, mandated for the restoration and enhancement of the Saint-Martin church.

Described as “Sistine from Romanesque art”, these frescoes cover nearly 100 m2. Their author remains unknown: we nickname him “the master of vic”. The parish priest Vincent Béguin returns to the discovery of this decor “which nourishes the soul and allows us to walk to the heart of our faith”. On December 6, 1849, trying to remove a nail holding a altarpiece, Father Jean-Baptiste Périgaud fell under a layer of lime bladder, on murals.

With the help of his sacristan, he begins to remove the coating which covers them and immediately takes the measure of their value. He informed an illustrious neighbor, the Châtelaine de Nohant… George Sand! The woman of letters, helped by her son, will lend a hand – literally and figuratively – to get these frescoes out of the shadows. Mission accomplished: forty days later, they are classified as historic monuments.

A fun exhibition …

The community of communes of La Châtre-Sainte-Sévère was well aware of having a treasure. “Passing people pushed the door of Saint-Martin but left a few minutes later, failing to identify the scenes,” admits Annick Dussault, responsible for tourism in the territory. It was necessary accessible, fair and attractive reading keys. The challenge was great, because the church remains a place of worship. It was then that a long work of consultation has been carried out since 2008 with local elected officials, heritage specialists, including the diocesan commission of sacred art of Bourges (dear).

Today, the result is unanimous. “It is the first time that an audio and video device, in French and in English, has been as complete as the decor and use of the premises,” notes Bertrand Joubert, architect at the Arc & Site agency. Thus, in the nave, interactive desks describe the paintings and activate a light beam on the works. A tactile representation of Christ, accompanied by explanations in Braille, facilitates the visit of the visually impaired. Once folded down, these desks offer support for song booklets and parish newsletters. In the choir, benches are equipped with “sound shower” which present the works, also identified by a light beam.

… Open all day

An interpretation center completes the visit. It is installed in a 18th century Berrichonne house, located at the bedside of Saint-Martin. Videos retrace the history of the building, the rediscovery of frescoes, their heritage value and the techniques used by “the master of vic”. Other Bas-Berry novel treasures are also presented on a map. This valuation project led thanks in particular to the endowment of the Pilgrim Grand Prix of Heritage, category “Transmission and Sharing”, given in 2021 by the Foundation for the safeguard of French art.

Today, it is impossible to visit the country of George Sand without stopping at Vic! And no need to worry about accessibility: the Saint-Martin church is equipped with an automatic opening system, accessible from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., as is the adjoining interpretation center. “Opening our churches everyone is fundamental, not only for the attractiveness of a rural territory like ours,” emphasizes Father Vincent Béguin, but also because you never know what can arise from a simple visit. During the last Pascale night, I baptized nine adults: people who, one day, crossed the threshold of a church, “he added, a malicious eye.