Royal Basilica of Cléry Saint André

Cléry, the epitome of Flamboyant Gothic. The name Notre-Dame de Cléry is undeniably linked to the history of the Valois dynasty, to whom it owes its renown and splendor. It is also, undoubtedly, on the banks of the Loire, an early testament to the special favor in which several kings of France held this stretch of the river, which, between Tours and Orléans, displays the deceptive languor of its meanders, to which levees have, since the 17th century, firmly established boundaries. The sanctuary's origin lies in the discovery by peasants of a statue of the Virgin Mary, which was very quickly imbued with miraculous powers. The influx of pilgrims compelled Philip IV the Fair, and later Philip VI of Valois, to build a large church. It was destroyed in 1428 by the English from Salisbury; only the bell tower remains. At the siege of Dieppe, Louis XI, still Dauphin, accompanied by Dunois, vowed to rebuild Philip the Fair's church if the Virgin Mary granted him victory. She gave it to him, aided in this by the military talents of Dunois, bastard son of Louis d'Orléans and co-lord of Beaugency...