Eglise Sainte Croix (Holy Cross Church), Tours

The Sainte-Croix Church in Tours is a historic monument, listed on December 19, 1939. Set in the Old Town, between rue de Châteauneuf to the South and rue Henri-Royer to the West, this 13th-century edifice was built on the site of an even older monastery, founded in the 6th century by Sainte Radegonde, wife of Merovingian King Clotaire I.

The design follows the pattern generally adopted by Christian churches of the period – choir to the east and nave to the west. It has a single-span nave, a transept, and a choir. The cross of the transept and the choir are narrower than the nave. The nave's vault, of Western Gothic style, rests on Romanesque piles. The western facade changed significantly in the 15th century following the construction of an adjacent building.

The northern part of the transept, vaulted with a semicircular cradle, is connected to the cross of the transept by a large semicircular opening. It is extended to the east by a chapel, covered with a so-called Angevin vault, featuring the same style as that of the nave. The choir, terminated by a flat apse, is only lit by two windows on the northern side.

Except for its south facade, floors, and internal partitions, the building represents a historic heritage. The rectory, adjacent to the north gutter wall of its nave, is also listed as a historic monument.