Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, 30 km south of Tours.
Its 15 km² territory is crossed by a few streams and is always green, covered with cultivated land (64% of its area), meadows (10%) and forests (21%).
The history of the locality is linked to a legend. In 732, after the battle of Poitiers, Charles Martel is said to have defeated the last battalions of Saracens in the woods south of the current village. On the site of Fierbois, he would then have erected a small chapel, dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, patron saint of soldiers. Then he would put his sword there. This sanctuary was very popular during the Hundred Years War, and soon the rumor affirmed that miracles took place there. A hospital was built for pilgrims around 1400. A few years later, in March 1429, Joan of Arc traveled to the chapel and reportedly explained that she had found Charles Martel's sword there behind the altar... This is how the cult of Joan was associated with that of Saint-Catherine. The parish church bears witness to this... The village of 760 inhabitants still highlights today the heritage linked to its more or less legendary history. Added to this is a green environment and a cultural dynamism that make it a very pleasant stopover in the heart of the Loire Valley.
Several buildings justify a walk in the form of discovery of the heritage of the locality. It begins with the Sainte-Catherine church, built from 1431 by order of King Charles VII, after the death of Joan of Arc, on the site of the old chapel where she had found Charles Martel's sword. according to his words. Of almost modest size (34 m by 12) offset by a slender architecture (via a 41 m high campanile), presenting decorations in the flamboyant Gothic style (gates, transept), it was restored in 1859. Inside, the he place where the sword was located is still visible. The transept houses two chapels: the first, dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria, has a 15th century altar and a 19th century Tudor Gothic style confessional sculpted by cabinetmaker Chaffiot. The second chapel is dedicated to the Virgin. We still observe, at the level of the choir, the arms of Joan of Arc. The sculpted wooden high altar and the stained glass windows that recall the history of the place are beautifully crafted. The church was listed in 1862.
See next, the Dauphin's house, so called because Charles VII is said to have lived there. The building dates from 1478, built for the lord of Sainte-Maure (now a neighboring town to the south). Recently restored, the house listed in the Inventory still has lattice windows and a low door in a bracket. Sculpted crests and winged dragons are visible on the sides.
Then head to the town hall which occupies the old hospital and its chaplaincy erected in 1400 to welcome and care for pilgrims. The whole has been restored and registered.
The Temple of the Reformed Church (1958), erected to the south of the town, in the Saint-Maurice wood, which testifies to the settlement of farmers from the Netherlands in the 1920s, the Stations of the Cross at the entrance of the village or the beautiful traditional washhouse conclude this route.
Even a visit to the library is not without interest. Not only because it regularly schedules events (readings, meetings, etc.) but also because it is housed in an annex to the town hall, which is none other than the old hospital chapel, dedicated to Saint-Jacques. of Compostela! Information on +33 2 47 65 43 46.
The weight of history has not altered the bucolic character of the countryside surrounding the village, nor the majesty and richness in terms of fauna and flora of its wooded areas. Hiking enthusiasts have plenty of time to enjoy it via marked trails. Some loops may include heritage items or natural sites of interest from neighboring towns... Maps and information on +33 2 47 65 66 20.
From June 21 to the end of September, the "Sainte-Catherine recipe" operation is a culinary photo tour through the hanging in the village of large format photos on which residents present typical recipes from the region.
The second weekend of September, the Pucelle festival is dedicated to current music and features several outdoor concerts.
