Eglise Saint-Jean-au-Marché - Troyes

The church was destroyed by Norman raiders around 889-892 and was probably rebuilt in wood, like most buildings of the period.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the church was completely rebuilt, this time in stone, as we see it today. The choir and transept, damaged by the great fire of Troyes in 1524, were rebuilt in the early 16th century. Outside, the church was flanked by small loggias (small houses), which were destroyed in the early 20th century. The bell tower, in the south-west corner of the building, collapsed in 1911, taking the west façade with it during demolition work on the loggias. The wooden structure housed the bells that are now housed in the north and south aisles, which were barely affected by the accident.

Inside, the flat chevet houses a monumental altarpiece in Italian style, designed in 1667 by the Parisian architect Noblet and decorated with paintings by Pierre Mignard of Troyes (17th century). The 32 choir stalls probably come from the former Notre-Dame-aux-Nonnains abbey (where the current prefecture is located). The nave and aisles, with pillars with decorated capitals and sculpted keystones, have large Gothic windows.

The third bay contains The Judgement of Solomon (1511), while the bays of the southern aisle will delight the curious. The Circumcision of Christ, The Martyrdom of Saint Agatha (with her smiling face!) and The Coronation of the Virgin, painted around 1495. The church also contains some fine sculptures from the Trojan school , many of which date from before the fire of 1524: a Pietà, the Flemish-inspired Visitation and the Deploration. The tabernacle was decorated by François Girardon (1691).

Willem Vandenameele