Église Saint-Florentin, Gothic church in Saint-Florentin, France.
Église Saint-Florentin is a Gothic church featuring a choir, transept, and ambulatory with radiating chapels, set around an incomplete nave. The roofed sections showcase detailed stone vaults and columns, while the unfinished nave area remains visible as an open space within the building.
Construction started in 1520 as an ambitious Gothic project, but religious conflicts and money shortages stopped the work permanently. The nave remained unfinished while other parts were completed by around 1614.
The church holds stained glass windows from the 16th century created by craftsmen from the Troyes school, featuring colorful biblical scenes. A stone choir screen carved around 1600 divides the sanctuary and displays the detailed stonework typical of that era.
To explore the interior, you need to get a key from the Tourist Office since the building is usually locked. The church can be visited year-round once you have arranged access through this simple process.
The incomplete nave actually stands as a visible reminder of how religious wars disrupted local building projects and ambitions of the time. This empty space creates an unusual awareness of what was never completed, making it a rare testimony to interrupted vision.
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