“It is urgent to act for religious heritage”

He was trained in heritage conservation at the National School of Charters, before branching off to Ena to become a state councilor. But the passion for history has never left Marc Sanson, an Ambois resident since 1972. In 2023, he published an authoritative book on the history of Notre-Dame-du-Bout-des-Ponts. And he draws up a worrying observation about the state of Ambois buildings: “Today, it is urgent to act”.

What general diagnosis do you make of the Amboise religious heritage?

Marc Sanson: “I am concerned because it is degraded and little has been done for several years. Amboise has five religious buildings: the churches of Saint-Denis, Saint-Florentin, Notre-Dame-du-Bout-des-Ponts, and the chapels of Saint-Jean on the Île d'Or and Saint-Denis within the walls of the hospital. Two are not in bad condition, these are Saint-Florentin and the Saint-Denis chapel. On the other hand, the Saint-Denis church, Notre-Dame-du-Bout-des-Ponts and the Saint-Jean chapel are not in good condition, to varying degrees. »

Let’s start with Notre-Dame-du-Bout-des-Ponts.

“The exterior restoration was carried out thanks to the legacy of Françoise Bacon in 2019. But the interior could not be done because the budget was insufficient. However, he is in a pitiful state. The high altar had to be supported because it threatened to fall. I'm not sure if the current stay is enough, there are pieces that have come loose. The pulpit is coming off the wall, there are statues that have been removed, the paneling has been removed to make the wall breathe… There is nothing left. The church is bare, services take place there as best they can once a month. But it is unfit for visiting, there would be no point in reopening it. »

Do you have an idea of ​​the budget needed for the rehabilitation?

“I don’t know how to quantify the work to be carried out, but it’s in the order of a few hundred thousand euros. A diagnosis was made by a heritage architect, who concluded that a preliminary hydrogeological study was necessary because the Loire rises. It was done in 2022 and handed over to the City at the beginning of 2023. Since then, nothing has happened. »

However, in your opinion is there an emergency?

“Yes, because we cannot leave the situation as it is. The state of the high altar or the pulpit is urgent. The church deserves to be cleaned up. »

What is the other priority?

“The Saint-Jean chapel. There, the work is less important, but it is urgent. It was extensively restored in the 1970s. In 2022, we realized that there were disorders in the framework, which risked collapsing, and therefore causing the vault to fall. We did temporary reinforcement work, we put a tarpaulin on the roof and a security perimeter. But we haven't done anything since. »

And then there is the Saint-Denis church…

“It’s a big project, which is probably why we seem to be going backwards. There were leaks in the roof, so much so that we had to put in a bucket. This was repaired but there was collateral damage because it also attacked the frame. The walls are not in good condition, there are many cracks linked to infiltration, the choir needs to be completely rebuilt…”

What would the cost of the work be?

“The estimates are 5 to 7 million euros. It would be necessary to proceed in stages, over several years. It is a building classified as a Historic Monument, the work can therefore be paid by the State up to 50%. Other subsidies are also possible to help the City. But on condition of having put together a file. What is certain is that the longer we wait, the heavier and more expensive the work will be. »

“The Notre-Dame-du-Bout-des-Ponts church, history, architecture and furniture”, by Marc Sanson, Éditions Hugues de Chivre (212 pages, €40).