Church of Saint-Aignan

You’re now standing in front of the Church of Saint-Aignan, dedicated to one of the city’s most legendary figures. Saint Aignan is remembered for his brave stand against none other than Attila the Hun. After laying waste to cities like Metz and Reims, the Huns marched toward Orléans. At the time, Orléans was a major city — far more important than Paris, which was still just a small town known as Lutetia. With the Roman governor having mysteriously vanished, it fell to the bishop, Aignan, to negotiate and defend the city. According to legend, Aignan climbed to the top of the tower each day to watch for help, while the townspeople would call up to him: “Aignan, my brother Aignan, do you see anything coming?” Sound familiar? That line inspired Charles Perrault’s famous phrase in Bluebeard: “Anne, my sister Anne, do you see anything coming?” Eventually, the reinforcements did arrive — Roman and Visigoth troops led by General Aetius — and they managed to push Attila back. This marked the beginning of the end for the Huns, who were later defeated at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains near Troyes. Aignan was hailed as a hero, canonized, and made patron saint of Orléans… at least until Joan of Arc came along and stole the spotlight for similar reasons you probably already know. That’s why this collegiate church dedicated to Saint Aignan holds such historical importance. It even has a beautifully preserved crypt, which you can visit on request. Both the church and its crypt have been officially listed as historic monuments since 1840 — the very first year France began protecting such sites.