The parish church of Marchéville, dedicated to Saint Chéron, catches the eye with its imposing volume. Preceded by a bell tower with corner turrets, the vast vessel, taken over at the beginning of the 16th century, includes the nave and the choir in the same work campaign. Very simple in plan, without aisles or transepts, the building ends with a three-sided apse with an axis sacristy. On the outside, the harmony that emerges is due to its unity of style and the regularity of its composition: rhythmic alternation of the twelve high windows with flamboyant tracery with high buttresses whose upper edge of the glacis stops at the cornice level. A drip edge runs along the facades, at the base of the windows and around the buttresses. The tracery designs are not all identical. A slight hesitation in the architectural approach is at the origin of the creation of a bay wider and higher than the others, on the south facade which has four bays, as opposed to the north facade where there are five . Inside, the eye is attracted by the volume of the beautiful paneled vault, whose painted decoration presents, in a plant decoration, an alternation of doves and stylized flowers. According to the indication on an ornate tie beam, this work dates from 1536; the frame itself is sculpted and decorated. The polychrome decoration was probably restored in the 19th century at the time of the paintings of the choir: in 1854, during his visit to the town, the cantonal surveyor of Chartres reported the poor condition of the “oak wood paneling of the vault” ; “the destruction of part of the paneling which, today, needs urgent repairs” is explained by “the poor state of the tile roof (sic) of the church”. It was therefore after 1854 that the current slate roofing was replaced by tile roofing. Fragments of 16th century stained glass windows, present in the north bay of the choir, are classified as Historic Monuments. The poor condition of the bays – already the 1854 report noted that their third was walled up – required rapid restoration. In 1994, the Safeguarding of French Art granted aid of 34,000 F for the repair of three bays on the south side of this unprotected church.
Translated by Google •
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