Paris1972-Versailles2003

Now this was a pleasant surprise to find me an old picture from this village in the Vexin Français . I have another post on it on the goodies we came to get here from the farms while living in Versailles. Many family memories flashing by at the moment so nice indeed. Of course, I have to include it in my blog for old time’s sake. And let me tell you a bit this time about the Saint Martin Church of Commeny !

Commeny is located in the department 95 of Val d’Oise and in the region of Île de France, It is 18 km from Pontoise, 67 km from Rouen, and 53 km from Paris, It is easily accessible by the old national road 14 (current RD 14), which coming out of Paris is the A15. I have plenty on the other post so will just tell you about the church here. Hope you enjoy it as I.

The Saint-Martin Church construction began a few decades after the erection of Commeny into a parish in 1161. At the beginning of the 13C, this church in the primitive Gothic style was completed, and then had a nave of four bays accompanied by two aisles, a transept with bell tower central, and a small choir at the flat apse. During the Hundred Years War, the church suffered damage, and the last bays of the aisles and the transept braces were rebuilt at the beginning of the 16C, in the flamboyant Gothic style. Later, in 1568, the nave and its aisles were not only rib-vaulted in a somewhat rustic Renaissance style, but the large southern arcades and the aisle walls were completely redone. From then on, only the large northern arcades, the crossing of the transept, the bell tower and the choir remain of the first parish church , The current chancel can be dated to the late 12C. A new tower-porch was built in 1833.

Among the furnishings of the Saint Martin Church we find: the statue of the Madonna and Child in polychrome stone next to the entrance dates from the 14C, the statue of a holy bishop, probably Saint Martin, on the other side of the ‘hall. This statue dates from the 17C, The stone statue of Saint Barbara, of naïve workmanship, dates from the 16C ,and the martyr is accompanied by the tower where she was locked up, and bears the palm of martyrdom, as well as a closed book. The wooden Christ on the cross suspended under the triumphal arch should remain from an old beam of glory dates from the 14C,The stone statue of Saint Anthony the Great, of folk art, shows the saint during his martyrdom by fire , and dates from the 17C. The stone statue of Saint Fiacre, of popular art, shows the patron saint of gardeners with his main attribute, the spade, and dates from the 17C. The gilded stone statue of the seated Madonna and Child is 91 cm (about 36 inches) in height, and dates from the 14C. stands today at the apse of the north aisle, The polychrome stone statues of Saint Martin and Saint Joseph date from 1694, and are part of the main altarpiece.

The 15C altar canopy is in the Flamboyant Gothic style. Its openwork decoration in sculpted wood, at the very top, consists of two rows of flamboyant carvings, and a row of scallop shells surrounded by plant motifs. The altarpiece of the high altar is in soft stone or stucco, and consists of , essentially two pairs of Ionic pilasters decorated with falling flowers embellished with palmettes; an entablature whose metope is decorated with foliage, while acanthus leaves adorn the spine of the cornice; a pediment whose border is carved according to the model of the cornice; two flower vases that confine the pediment; and a crucifix as crowning glory. The whole is painted.

Today, Commeny is affiliated with the parish of Avernes et Marines, and Sunday masses are celebrated there irregularly, twice a year.

Other things to see here are:

The Maison du Pain,(house of the bread) one of the four museums and themed houses of the regional natural park of French Vexin. It only opens on Sunday afternoons from May to July and from September to October. The Ferme Saint-Jacques or des Maillochins farm is organized around a large courtyard and includes, among other things, a barn from 1775 and a dovecote-porch from 1625. Topped with a saddleback roof, its gate has arcades in full hanger. The farm once belonged to the wardens of the Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie Church in Paris.

The town of Commeny on the Saint Martin Church: http://www.commeny.fr/56-eglise-saint-martin/

There you go folks, a wonderful find indeed , to remind me of our wonderful time in Versailles, Yvelines, dept 78 and the whole of the Île de France region! Commeny is a small part of it, but precious. Again hope you enjoy the post as I

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!