Small stone church surrounded by greenery and groves of lavender, which make it an idyllic place to stop and recover for a few moments. At the border of Yvelines and Eure-et-Loire, you are in the middle of the countryside and all to the west of Ile-de-France, far from the noise of Paris!
The first stone church dates from 1177, it was burnt down at the end of the 12th century by Henry II, King of England and Duke of Normandy. The inhabitants of Neauphlette will rebuild it in the 13th century and expand it in the 16th. It was a large 6-span church, altered several times, at the time when the inhabitants of Neauphlette were numerous. We read on the bell that she was named "Désirée" by a certain Jacques Nicolas Bocquet; however, we know that Nicolas Bocquet was a teacher at Neauphlette until 1836: the bell was therefore blessed and installed at that time. In the 20th century, the church suffered a lot, it was deconsecrated in 1928; the furniture, the roof, the stones and the framework are sold and dispersed in the fifties. There are some tombstones used to create the deck of the footbridge that crosses the Radon, near the washhouse. Today, all that remains of this church is the tall square bell tower, placed against the old western gable and some ruins of the nave and choir. This municipal heritage building is regularly maintained by the municipality: the bell tower was restored in 1960 for the sum of 8389 Francs (1279 Euros) thanks to a subscription.
More recently, the roof has been redone and a rooster placed at the top. The current stained-glass window is a work from the middle of the 19th century, installed in 1998; it represents Saint Martin, Roman soldier, patron of the church, sharing his mantle with a poor man and it was put in place by a craftsman from Chartres.
The Neauphlettois appreciate this place, visible from afar, witness to the stages in the life of the inhabitants of their village. They are committed to maintaining and enhancing this heritage received from their ancestors. Its location, remarkably located in the heart of the village, is regularly used for festive meetings between residents.
Translated by Google •
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