The best traffic-free bike rides around Montmirail

Detailed information is available on Wikipedia: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porte_Saint-Julien_(La_Fert%C3%A9-Bernard)

We went by very quickly

a lake to rest.

The first mentions of the Saint-Germain church in Sceaux-sur-Huisne appear in the cartulary of the Saint-Vincent abbey in Le Mans: around 1050, Bouchard de Théligny gave the Sceaux church land and a meadow located at proximity. At this time, the building, then "in bad woods", was rebuilt in stone. The nave is considered to be the oldest part of the church and dates back to the 11th century, but it is in reality difficult to date due to multiple alterations and even reconstructions. The masonry shows several repetitions and a confused assembly of elements which could come from older buildings, such as the remains of the Gallo-Roman villa which was exhumed at the end of the 19th century in the valley (small regularly cut rubble stones, debris of roof tiles). There are also traces of old openings, such as a door opening onto the priory. Although it is probable, there is no element to formally identify the Romanesque construction. The current openings are later, such as the small Gothic bay in the western wall and perhaps the south door (15th century?) and the other openings probably made around the first half of the 18th century. Significant masonry and structural work is actually mentioned in the nave in 1709. The choir and the bell tower were probably built in the first half of the 16th century, in a late Gothic style. The factory accounts mention various works in the 1530s and 1540s: roofing, construction of a ballet, stained glass window of the "grant window"... The tower was perhaps built in several stages if we rely on the changes masonry nets in the elevation. It was visibly remodeled at the end of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th century, as indicated by the semi-circular openings, one of which was walled up. From 1570, the du Bouchets were lords of Sceaux and had their coat of arms, "azure with three rings of sand", affixed to the keystone of the chapel under the bell tower (since replaced by a flower) and on the vault paneled nave and choir. As for the windows on the north wall of the choir, they were undoubtedly open in the 18th century like those in the nave. During the Revolution, the church was seized as national property and sold to a certain René Neveu in September 1796, excluding the furniture. The two bells installed in 1719 and the fittings were handed over to the administration to be melted down. The church was returned to the town after the death of Mr. Neveu in the 1810s. The church underwent some occasional maintenance work (mainly on the roof) in the 19th and 20th centuries, but not an overall restoration. In 1831, an estimate was drawn up to enlarge the church with a chapel, in order to better accommodate all parishioners: this project was not carried out. The same year, the flag which still covers the bell tower was put up. The current sacristy (Gambert architect) was added in 1862 to replace another very dilapidated one, blocking a window now only visible from the inside. The second half of the 19th century also saw the clearing of the surroundings of the church, cluttered with lean-tos and hidden by an imposing washhouse finally moved in 1870. The last work, concerning the roofing, was carried out in 1989. The church of Sceaux-sur-Huisne has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1926.

talk to him, he will answer you 😁

Composed of a central nave ending at the apse with a straight wall pierced by an ogival window, and accompanied by side aisles at the end of one of which rises the 58 meter bell tower. The four upper bays are from the 15th century. The church being too small at the end of the 15th century, it was extended by three bays representing approximately 14 m of floor space. The Renaissance facade offers a beautiful sculpted door from the 16th century depicting four scenes from the life of the Holy Virgin, attributed by Abbot Froger to the sculptor Guillaume Le Houx (holly garland, cornucopias and his initials M.G.L.H.).

The old village church was partly destroyed by fire in 1720; it was rebuilt in the 1780s but without decoration. All of the painted decorations were executed between 1863 and 1865: the scenes and figures by Dubois and the ornamental decoration by Goislard under the direction of Louis Bodin, Count of Galembert. This vast program was sponsored by the allied families of Vanssay and Galembert and the priest Toizard; the factory participated for 5448F. The church was consecrated by Monseigneur Fillion, bishop of Le Mans, on September 5, 1865. (inventory of the heritage of the Pays de la Loire region) A black marble plaque engraved with the names of 30 soldiers per year was inserted into the wall paintings of this church, under the Crucifixion.

It was Saint Thuribe in the 5th century who dedicated the oratory that preceded the current church to Saint Pierr. Tradition reports that Saint Thuribe, Bishop of Le Mans, ordained on September 30, 490, came to preach Christianity in the region of Saint-Calais where he dedicated other oratories to Saint Peter. In Berofacium (Berfay), he would have "gone down" to a certain Gaïanus, holder of property or exercising military command. The roussard stone buttresses and the walled semi-circular bay bear witness to 11th or 12th century architecture. The Saint Pierre church was originally supposed to consist of a simple nave extended by a straight apse. Like many churches in the surrounding area, it was redeveloped in the 16th century (addition of the north side aisle) and restored around 1876, with the addition of the south side aisle. The work was carried out thanks to a bequest from Mrs. Mercent to the factory, an organization responsible at the time for managing the church's property. The exterior walls were re-coated in 1924.