Saint-Marcel Priory depended on the nearby Abbey of Saint-Gildas de Châteauroux (Indre). It was built on the site of an earlier church dedicated to Saint Marcel of Argenton and his companion Anastasius, Romans who, according to tradition, were martyred here in the 3rd century and venerated at this place. The priory was founded through the initiative of Guillaume I of Chauvigny (c. 1190–1233).
Western portal
At about the same time, the lords of Chauvigny also founded the nearby Priory of Saint-Étienne d’Argenton. Saint-Marcel is first mentioned in 1216 and, in 1226, the pope confirmed its possessions. One consequence of the introduction of the commendatory system at Saint-Gildas (1523) was the end of monastic life at this priory, which thereafter became merely a benefice held by persons unconnected with the community. Although the mother abbey was secularised in 1622, the title of prior survived until the French Revolution, while the parish remained active.
The church consists of a single nave divided into three bays, connected to a double-aisled transept originally intended for the monastic community, where the choir stalls are still preserved. The chevet comprises three semicircular apses. Construction took place at the time of the priory's foundation, between the late 12th and the early 13th centuries; the nave is the oldest part of the building. The south apse stands above a crypt built to take advantage of the natural slope of the ground. Over the centuries, the complex underwent several alterations and restorations, particularly during the 19th century, when the bell tower was also rebuilt.
Western portal
Among its furnishings, the treasury is especially noteworthy, containing an important group of objects, including an enamelled reliquary casket, a wooden casket depicting the Martyrdom of Saint Marcel of Argenton, and a 19th-century enamelled ciborium. The church also preserves a wall painting of Saint Louis Presenting a Cleric to the Virgin (16th century). The choir stalls, preserved in the centre of the transept, date from the time of the last regular prior, Antoine Barbaud (1484–1522).
Saint Louis Presenting a Cleric to the Virgin (16th century)
Modern stained glass (20th century)
Saints Marcel of Argenton and Anastasius, Lawrence and Stephen
Enameled casket (first half of the 13th century)
Enameled casket (first half of the 13th century)
Enameled casket (first half of the 13th century)
Wooden casket with the Martyrdom of Saint Marcel d'Argenton
Enameled ciborium (19th century)
Crypt
Schematic plan of the church, with the crypt
Illustration from Esquisses pittoresques sur le département de l'Indre (1854)
Illustration from Esquisses pittoresques sur le département de l'Indre (1854)
- FAVIÈRE, Jean (1970). Berry roman. La nuit des temps, 32. Zodiaque
- GUÉRIN, Paul (1888). Les Petits Bollandistes. Vies des saints. Vol. 7. París: Bloud et Barral
- HUBERT, Eugène (1889). Dictionnaire historique, géographique et statistique de l'Indre. Châteauroux: Badel
- LA TRAMBLAIS, Louis Alexandre de; i altres (1854). Esquisses pittoresques sur le département de l'Indre. Châteauroux: Migné
- LACOUR, Francesca (2011). L’abbaye Saint-Gildas de Châteauroux et ses dépendances en Bas-Berry. Colloque Saint Gildas
- LAURIÈRE, LENAIL (1874). Argenton, Saint-Marcel. Congrès archéologique de France, 40 ss. Société française d'archéologie
- PRACHE, Anne (1987). L’église de Saint-Marcel. Congrès archéologique de France, 142 ss. Société française d'archéologie
Saint-Marcel is located in the commune of the same name, beside Argenton, south of Châteauroux