Saint-Aignan - Saint-Aignan

The former collegiate church Saint-Aignan was built from the early 11th to the early 13th century, so there is a transition from Romanesque to early Gothic style. The church replaced a chapel from the 9th century and was a center of pilgrimage, as the relics of Saint Aignan of Orlean (+ 453) were venerated here.

The church was ruined for a long time and got renovated and restored during the 19th century. During the renovation of the nave at least some parts got recreated.

Fortunately the ambulatory crypt, the oldest part of the collegiate church Saint-Aignan, got not renovated like the nave. It stayed pretty much intact and has frescoes dating back to the 12th and 13th century.

This fresco in one of the radiating chapels of the crypt is probably from the 12th century and so about a century older than the fresco of the large chapel (previous upload).

I could not read the inscription but found information, claiming that depicted here are scenes from the life of Saint Gilles, a popular saint in medieval times. His relics let many pilgrims walk to the Abbey of Saint-Gilles near Arles.