I continue with my road warrior trip into known terrain and visiting new places and repeat memories of always, after all ,this is Seine et Marne dept 77 the first land touch in France to chase a wonderful girl named Martine, my dear late wife, Always uplifting to come here and this was no exception, I rode into the town of Blandy les Tours located in the Seine-et-Marne department 77 in the Île-de-France region of my belle France, Here is my take on the Church Saint Maurice de Blandy les Tours !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Church of Saint-Maurice, which dates back to the early Middle Ages, stands very close to the northern rampart of the fortified castle (see post) . In the Merovingian period, the parish group was made up of two different buildings: the church and a chapel, the remains of which remain, delimited on the ground, in the inner courtyard of the castle. The Saint-Maurice Church is attached to the missionary center of Mormant, in the diocese of Meaux. The church is placed under the patronage of Saint Maurice.
The Saint Maurice Church has been regularly transformed and extended. The four-sided bell tower, characteristic of Briard churches, and the Gothic-style nave, date from the 14C. The nave, with three bays, is flanked by a single aisle. Its choir includes an imposing altarpiece with four pillars as well as a sculpted high altar dating from the 18C. The chapels include a set of paintings and woodwork from the same period. Several tombstones from the 16C to 18C remain: they are mainly located at the entrance to the church or attached to the walls. Note also the pulpit dating from 1772, the finely carved baptismal font, and the confessional. The statue representing Saint Geneviève, dazzling under the light of the stained glass windows, challenges the visitor. The bells that punctuate village life date from 1790 and 1889. The sacristy, extending the church, is more recent.
The Saint Maurice Church, which has been restored, is located north of the castle. It consists of a nave and a short aisle giving three bays; a large rectangular pillar from the transition 12C and four ramified pillars from the 15C with twin windows with rosettes in the choir and in the apse. The Louis XIV altarpiece, adorned with pillars of the composite order, bears the date of 1774. Note a copy of the Dutch School: “A music lesson”, gift made in 1848 by the Count of Choiseul-Praslin ; a painting with a sculpted frame: “Father Tobias blind, cured by the angel Raphael”. The angel, under the figure of a woman; places on his head the gall of the fish caught in the Euphrates, in the presence of his mother and son; the four Evangelists by Tintoretto, wall paintings ; a crowned statue of “the Virgin and Child”, in stone
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In front of the choir is a wooden grille from 1810. Behind the high altar we discover four coats of arms, three-quarters erased, of the house of Savoy. Quarterly at 1 of a fleur-de-lys gold on a blue field; 4th, a blue lion on a golden field ; in the sinister part, a blue fleur-de-lys , a golden star in chief on a blue field and a silver lion in point on a golden field. That’s all we could decipher from these interesting coats of arms. The square bell tower is distinguished by the four gables of the Rhenish school. .The chapels and the choir feature a set of recently classified 18C oak paneling. A few stalls decorated with sculptures are also still visible, as well as a curious closed stall called “sheepfold”. A Healing of Blind Tobias, an Annunciation and a Music Lesson. Taken down during a restoration, they reveal frescoes from the 15-16C, very degraded, which they hid until restore, The works are financed by the Marquise Jacqueline de Rothelin, widow of François d’Orléans Longueville, Lord of Blandy.
A necropolis of 72 graves of young children was found around the apse of this church. The Saint Maurice Church is 44 meters long and 13 meters wide, is located in the area where many sarcophagi were found, this area was then occupied by a Merovingian cemetery.
The Seine et Marne dept 77 tourist office on the Church Saint Maurice :https://www.seineetmarnevivreengrand.fr/explorer/glise-saint-maurice-5484339/
There you go folks, another dandy ride in my road warrior mode,again, It was my first visit, even I cannot believe it passing by it so many times ! Anyway, it was a great first time andn worth the detour for all wonderful in Blandy les Tours in my dear Seine et Marne, This is the Church Saint Maurice de Blandy les Tours, Again ,hope you enjoy the post as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 