Saint-Thibault - Burgundy

The village of Saint-Thibault is in many ways a typically French one and resembles many up and down the country: it has a central square with a war memorial, a single school and a bakery (which is often closed). Back in the 12th century, monks from nearby Saint Rigaud-en-Maconnais came to preach to the habitants of what was then called Fontaine. When, during the next century, in about 1240, the village received the relics of Saint-Thibault, the monks decided to establish a Benedictine priory church and after the village's name changed around a decade later, work began on the building in around 1260. During the 100 Years War, the former parish church was destroyed and so the relics were moved to the new priory in 1359, or thereabouts. Then, after several centuries of decline, in the mid-18th century the nave of the church was rebuilt in a more modest fashion by Italian architect Jean-Baptiste Caristie after it collapsed along with other parts of the structure over 60 years before. The most impressive parts of the church are the great door with its intricate carvings and Saint Thibault towering above, the Gothic chancel and the altarpiece recounting the life of the church's patron saint. Other features worthy of note are the painting by K.B. Hancock, the only English member of La Société Nationale des Beaux Arts which has hosted the Paris Salon since 1890 and the cheeky sculpture above the tomb of founder Guy de Thil of a man comforting a woman from behind by holding her breasts!