The best road cycling routes around Serville

A lovely crossroads located between Rambouillet and St Léger en Yvelines, where the monument is simple but pretty, just like its forester's house

Be careful not to lose your balance.

The charm of Nogent le Roi.

The Moulin de Mormoulins is a watermill located on the Eure River in the hamlet of Mormoulins. This mill dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries and is a listed historical monument. You can admire the old stone building, the wooden wheel, and the canal that diverts water from the river as you pass in front of the mill. The mill is surrounded by green fields and trees, creating a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

The church of La Chapelle-Forainvilliers, dedicated to Saint Martin, is a charming little building of uniform appearance which occupies the center of the village. Attested from 1080, the church, in its current state, does not seem to date back further than the 14th century and it most certainly underwent significant restorations in the 16th century. Some work was carried out in the 19th century, notably on the gable wall of the facade or inside which was redesigned according to the taste of the time. With a very simple plan, the church consists of a single nave ending in a semi-circular apse. It is lit by numerous bays which reveal successive interventions. The southern facade has semicircular openings in the second and third bays, openings which were reworked in the 19th century, and others, wider and higher in pointed arches, in the first and fourth bays; The carefully executed moldings bear witness to the 16th century work campaigns. One of the openings in the apse has a clasp in its upper keystone, probably installed in the 18th century. In the 19th century, a false stonework was designed across the entire nave; the furniture dates from this period. The church is covered with a pleasing roof of flat tiles that contrasts with the slate roof of the bell tower, whose slender profile allows the church to be distinguished from afar. The work to cover the bell tower was necessary and in 1994 the Sauvegarde de l'Art Français (French Art Protection Agency) awarded a grant of 15,000 francs. Unfortunately, the significant damage to the framework soon became apparent during the work. The Sauvegarde de l'Art Français (French Art Protection Agency) awarded a further grant of 100,000 francs for the repair of the bell tower framework in 1996.

According to tradition, the church choir covers the remains of an older building, possibly dating back to the 6th century, which was built to house the saint's body. According to current knowledge, the commune of Saint-Piat (Sanctus Piatus in Latin) officially appeared in 1087, mentioned in a charter of the Nottonville Priory (Eure-et-Loir), on which it depended. The current building was rebuilt during the time of Francis I, as suggested by the date 1535 engraved on two buttresses of the apse and the date 1542 engraved on a piece of wood from the vault. This is according to a study by the SAEL (Eure-et-Loir Archaeological Society). The three-sided apses, the dripstone towers (horizontal members projecting from a wall), and the sculpted roof structures are a testament to the importance of the reconstructions carried out in the department during the 16th century. The church of Saint-Piat is one of them. While the church has not been officially recognized, it nevertheless contains objects that have attracted attention both for their antiquity and quality, but not always for good reason. Their artistic value, far from attracting only religious or aesthetic interest, has also aroused a covetousness that, unfortunately, remains for some of them. Fortunately, those still in place are carefully cared for and offer the curious a story to discover, a beauty to slowly ponder as they progress toward the choir.

Nothing remains of the old church, donated at the end of the 10th century by Hugh Capet to the Abbey of Saint-Magloire. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the building was remodeled numerous times. The bell tower was restored around 1840. The building burned down in 1888. In 1892, the Hériot family commissioned its reconstruction from Charles Trubert, architect of the town of Rambouillet. The sacristy was built in 1894, possibly by Pommay, the Hériot family's architect. A painting depicting Saint Thomas Aquinas receiving the blood of Christ can be attributed to the 18th-century French school. The iconographic theme chosen is unusual. The depiction of a saint receiving the blood of Christ is inspired by the medieval theme of the Church collecting blood and water in its chalice. In the 16th century, the figures depicted in this pose at the foot of the cross were angels. Saint Thomas Aquinas usually symbolizes the fight against evil. In this painting, he represents the love of Christ. The church consists of a single nave with a ribbed vault and semicircular arches. The stained-glass windows are probably the work of Lorin, a master glassmaker from Chartres. The bell tower, partially destroyed during the Second World War, was restored in 1955.

A very beautiful greenway It's an old railway line that has been covered over; it used to go all the way to Dreux. We love going there for cycling, and it's also ideal for walking and rollerblading.