Deux-Chaises, Église Saint-Denis

    Parish of the diocese of Bourges, confirmed in 802 by Charlemagne to the abbey of s-Denis; later transferred to La Chapelaude and Le Montet. Foundations of the earlier church were discovered to the south of the existing church in 1896. The current church was built in the 11th – 12th century. The choir is of the type found at Meillers, Autry-Issards and Coulandan where a central barrel-vaulted apsed central vessel opens into lateral chapels also with apses. A seigneurial viewing hole opens into the southern chapel. The early (eleventh-century?) date of the choir is indicated by its lower height: apse roofs and nave roof are considerably taller. The tower sits over the north chapel. A pointed barrel vault covers the nave, which is flanked by narrow side aisles with long barrel vaults. The outer wall has been changed: the windows have been brought down in height and have been enlarged and an interior armature of ashlar applied to the rubble outer wall. The bobbin base mouldings and low-relief capitals suggest an eleventh-century date for the outer walls which belonged to the earlier wooden-roofed nave. The main arcade and vaults were then inserted towards 1200 as is indicated by the horizontally-extended lower torus of the base mouldings and the crocket capitals. The original buttresses have been reinforced, presumably to sustain the pressure inflicted by the vault. Furthermore, an earlier plan of Saint Denis would have included thee bays, not four. The two most western bays are new along with the façade and portal.