L’eglise de Saint Pantaleon

Whilst in Troyes last week we came across an amazing little church which was nestled in-between the old buildings of Troyes. The insignificant sign on the heavily painted door shared that it was open today, so we pushed the handle and snuck in.

As we entered our eyes were drawn to the alter along the narrow nave, and then taken upwards by the superb stained glass windows to the rafters, and the rather impressive roof which we realised was entirely made of wood. The narrowness of the nave gave a truly spectacular feeling of height. Suspended from the ceiling, above the alter, we could see a tiny carved wooden dove, such a delightful addition.

The walls of the church are made from carved white stone, I’m thinking probably the local limestone. The balcony that sweeps around the nave looks amazing, and is probably spectacular to walk around, something I’m not sure I would want to do.

We then started to notice the beautiful stained glass windows around the church, which are exquisite.

They date from the 16th century and many are in muted, pale tones, which is unusual, as intense vibrant colours are preferred for the region.

We learnt that after the Revolution sculptures from the 16th century were collected and taken to the church for safe keeping. They wanted to try and save them from being destroyed, as was happening in other buildings. Many of these were never returned, so the result is that it has transformed the little church into a remarkable museum of the religious statues of Champagne.

Some of the statues on the pillars have been carved directly out of the pillar stone. Such care, and so intricate.

It’s a beautiful little church to find on a wander around Troyes, one we will definitely return to.