The best road cycling routes around Harmonville

In the 18th century, the church of Saint-Brice was attached to the parish of Autreville, deanery of Neufchâteau, diocese of Toul. It was under the patronage of the canons of Saint-Euchaire de Liverdun, now in Meurthe-et-Moselle. The current building was constructed in 1768 at the instigation of Jean-Baptiste Panel, parish priest of Harmonville and Autreville since 1763. A foundation stone preserved in the south wall mentions, which is quite rare, the names of the contractors and the king's architect, residing in Metz »: Dominique George. Only one other church is known to be attributable to him, that of Maizières, in Meurthe-et-Moselle. The two contractors, Dieudonné Mariiez and Jacques Jérôme Prétot, are moreover from this same village. Archives attest to the numerous repair works carried out during the first half of the 19th century, which ended with the purchase of a clock (1841) and three bells (1843). The building is, as is often the case in the region, a barn church whose plastered nave ends in a pentagonal choir with a ribbed vault. The nave and choir are covered by a long tiled roof of mechanical tiles replacing the original hollow tiles. The in-built bell tower is, for its part, covered by a slate spire on a square base. Built in rendered rubble – the ashlar being exclusively reserved for the facade – the church is of great sobriety, tempered neither by the visible corner chains, nor by the molded segmental arch lintel of the portal, nor by the sculpted decorative element, perhaps an old eucharistic oculus (15th century?) inserted into the masonry of the bell tower. Inside, the choir has retained its wooden paneling. The two side altars, the pews with turned wooden armrests and feet, the pulpit adorned with lambrequins and topped by an angel blowing its trumpet, are very likely contemporary with the construction. The church of Saint-Brice preserves a statue of Saint Roch (last quarter of the 16th century) from an old chapel that housed a hermit in the 18th century, and an octagonal baptismal font with a baluster base. In 1998, for the repair of the plasterwork and zinc roofing of the church, the Sauvegarde de l’Art français granted aid of 75,000 F.

In addition to its rich heritage marked by the Gothic-style Saint-Étienne Cathedral, Toul is known for its AOC Côtes de Toul wines. Among them, the star is undoubtedly the gris, recognizable by its pretty pink color.

Toul Cathedral celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2021 (although it was not completed until after 1500). The monumental building dominates the cityscape from afar?

A beautiful place that has seen better days. It's worth taking a stroll.

Pleasant road with a clear view of the Butte du Bois d'Anon and the plain. Little traffic.

A nice little harbour, with benches for a break, a snack bar for a little refreshment is also available.

A must-see in Toul... The building is characterized by a main facade framed by two towers, the apse is flanked by two smaller towers, an ambulatory is missing, and the large transept is notable. The main facade in the late Gothic style with the two towers is 37 m wide, the west facade is richly decorated. The entrance area has three large doors, above which there are niches in which there are still images. Among other things, you can see a large figure of Christ with Mary Magdalene at her feet, the group is framed by a wimperg, and above it there is a large rose window. Of the 120 figures on the west facade, most were destroyed during the French Revolution; only eleven remained. A pelican with a monkey can still be seen on a buttress of the left tower. The towers are 65 m high, they were built in the 16th century, their floor plan is square in the lower area and octagonal in the upper area. Construction of the spiers was abandoned in 1561. A small tower with early Renaissance elements and a bell from the 16th century rises above the middle of the west facade.

Worth a visit for the impressive windows alone if you want to ignore the ecclesiastical