Translated  from an unknown french document by the Chateau Recreation Center at La Martinerie c. 1958

Déols, the cradle of Châteauroux, is today only a rural faubourg and forms a commune of some 4500 inhabitants largely extending along the right bank of the Indre.

Of Celtic origin, the town was for a long time called Bourgdieu (Burgus Dolis, or "City of God," in view of its brilliant religious past.  If one can believe Gregory of Tours on this point, the rich Roman Senator Leocade was converted to Christianity by St-Ursin to whom he gave his palace at Bourges to replace with the cathedral.  Leocade retired to Déols where, sensing his end at hand, had a tomb sculptured in Paros marble.  But through some misfortune, Lecade's son Ludre (or Lusor) died before he did.  Baptised less than eight days before, the young disciple of St-Ursin was buried in the tomb destined for his father.  Several miracles occurred before his burial place, causing the memory of St-Ludre to be perpetuated in popular belief.

In 468, the Visigoths won a great victory near Déols which assured them possession of the Berry.  Under Charles-the-Bald they formed the Berry into a great feudal house, whose chiefs bore the title of prince.

The chronical of Ademar of Chabannes reports "that Ebon of Bourges (or Ebbes-la-Noble, second prince of Déols and a descendant of Leocade, who died in 935) began the construction of the monastery of Bourg-Déols in honor of the mother of God.  This sanctuary was completed by his son Raoul."  In 917 occurred the foundation of the celebrated Abbey of Déols (or of Saint-Gildas) intended to house Benedictines coming from Cluny.  Pope Pascal II consecrated the abbey church in 1106.  At this time, the son and successor of Tbbes, Raoul-the-Large in order not to prevent the monastery from enlarging, transferred his residence to the other side of the river and there constructed the Chateau-Raoul, the origin of the city of Châteauroux.  During this same period, the Lords of Déols minted their own money, and Philip-pe-Auguste, for reasons of war, had the last royal deniers coined with the ten-pointed star and stamp of Dolis.

In the year 1187, the mercenaries of Richard-the-Lionhearted and Jean-sans-Terre were assembled before the Abbey.  One of them, during their games, seized a stone and lanced it in anger against a statue of Our Lady which adorned the lateral entrance of the church.  Beneath the shock, the area of the Enfant Jesus broke off and blood streamed from the broken stone.  At the same instant, the desecrator fell to the earth and died a little afterwards.  This story was reported by the doctor historiographer of Philippe Auguste.  jean-sans-Terre carried away the broken arm and Adbemar, Viscount of Limoges, took the hand.  The miraculous statue was afterward the object of numerous pilgrimages.  During the Revolution it was broken and thrown to the earth.  At the end of the last century, the sculptor Girsult-Dupin completed its restoration.  To this day, pilgrimage takes place annually on 15 August to Our Lady of Miracles.

The city of Déols, often called Bourg-Dieu, kept growing until the end of the 16th century, when the ravages of the Huguenots brought about its decadence.  They raided and burned the abbey in 1567.  Then, in 1622, Henry II of Conde, Prince of Déols, suppressed the abbey.  (M.B. Henry was first Duke of Châteauroux and father of the Great Conde.)

Of the rich abbey, once called the "bosom of Saint Peter," there remains today only a belfry kept as a landmark.  In 1830, the abbey church was still a grandoise ruin of which there remained one entire chapel, the Chapel of Miracles constructed in the 15th century to house the miraculous statue of the Virgin.  Out of sheer vandalism, the ensemble of ruins were sold and all the materials dispersed.  The admirable belfry itself was kept only because it served as a landmark for engineers.

Nicolas de Nicolay wrote this description of the abbey in the 16th century:  "The Church had three eaves not less than 300 feet long.  It was adorned with four heavy towers on the northside and, on the east, by a fifth at the entry to the choir, in which were hung bells."  Other sources say the church measured 110 meters long and had a Sqdnuare tower 55 meters high, with a comical spire in cantoned stone, and four lanterns, at the base of which were, to the left, the beginning of a couble arch of the nave and, to the right, in front of a piece of wall of the ancient carthes, decorated with beautiful arcatures, small columns and sculptured capitals.

BELFRY OF THE ABBEY.  The Chapel of Miracles was demolished in 1833 in order to open the route to Issoudun.  Today, a watch path leads to the belfry, a beautiful 12th century monument, at the same time simple and elegant.  On part of the watch path where the ... ... stood, is an orphanage for little blind and deaf-mute girls.

ROUTE TO ISSOUDUN.  PLACE DU PALAIS.  Where the route to Paris and to Bourges separates into two highways, the route to Paris at the left leads to the Place de la Republique.  From there the old Rue de l'Horlage leads to the church, passing first under the pictureSqdnue Porte d'Horlage, an old gate crowned with machicolation and flanked by two round towers with conical roofs.  The Gate is what remains of 15th century ramparts raised by the Abbots of Déols during the time of Charles VII whose patented letters of 15 December 1426, permitted the Deolois to fortify their city.  Of the old fortification there also remains the arcade of the Porte-du-Pont-Perrin, built at the entry of an old bridge since disapposed.  Sometimes, when the water is low, the downstream pillars of the bridge still show.  Over it passed the "chausee romaine," the Roman road and "ghreat highway" from Paris to Limoges.  Above the arcade of the old gate, facing the city, in the window of the ancient auditor of Justice, adorned with foliage.

The church of St. Etienne was built on Place Carnot.  Of little interest in itself, it includes a large panelled 12th cenutry nave, accompanied by two 15th century collaterals (side-aisles).  The wall of the a.... bears some Gallo-Roman traces.  The facade, partly RomaneSqdnue in style, is flanked at the left by a heavy unfinished tower of the 16th century.  In the tower is a bell which once belonged to the Abbey; it dates from 1575, and bears an inscription which recalls the burning of the Abbey.

Inside, near the choir, are two small Gallo-Roman crypts (address the sacristan to see them).  The left crypt contains the atone tomb of the senator Leocade.  Very simple, it is decorated only with a garland of voirtas.  In the left crypt stands the tomb of St Ludre, a magnificent 3rd century decorated with bas-reliefs upon the principal side, scenes from the chase of the boar, the bear, the lion, and the deer on the cover; a frese of a funeral real and departure for the chase entrance a scroll laid by two small genies.

In the left side aisle is the Chapel of Our Lady of Déols, mutilated during the Revolution but since restored; it is the object of a pilgrimage which attracts a considerable crowd to Déols on 29 May and 15 August.  Of note, are wooden votive candles and a candle of green leaves called the May candle, which replaces the tree formerly planted by young people on the first of May before the Chapel of Miracles.  The miracle to which the statue of Our Lady of Miracles owes its fame is recounted nearby in a curious 17th century tableau.

With the compliments of the Chateau Recreation Center, APO 10.