The Troglodyte Church of the Annunciation of Haute-Isle !!!

Posted in Europe, France

This was a historical visit lol! Actually passed by it several times and never got in until one day we had time and finally went in!! It was a memorable visit and we remember fondly especially been with my dear late wife Martine. I have found me pictures in my cd rom vault , that should be in my blog for you and me,and the reason of this post, Therefore, here is my take again on the  Troglodyte Church of the Annunciation of Haute-Isle !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The village of Haute-Isle is located in the Val-d’Oise dept no 95 in the Île-de-France region of my belle France. It is 5 km from Vétheuil, 2 km from La Roche-Guyon, 11 km from Giverny, 15 km from Mantes-la-Jolie, 60 km from Versailles, and 449 km from my current home. The village is accessible via the A13 autoroute exit/sortie 11, direction Limay, then Vétheuil, and then to Haute-Isle. I came from Versailles along the Le Chesnay Route de St Germain, then Route de Versailles to connect with the A13 Autoroute de Normandie, exit 6 towards Rouen, then take exit 11 Mantes-Est onto the D983 road, which crosses the Seine river over the Pont Neuf de Mantes into Limay (see post), continue bearing left onto the D913 road towards Vétheuil, passing through the city center and continuing on the D913 or Route de la Vallée, and just before entering the village, bear right towards the church.

The village was almost entirely troglodytic until the 19C and has the only church in Île-de-France region that is entirely carved into a cliff. The village, located in the French Vexin in the Seine valley, at the foot of a steep limestone cliff, at the foot of the Vexin plateau. It is part of the Vexin Français Regional Natural Park.(see post), The church is located on the Route de la Vallée D913 road. The cemetery, built on a terrace at the foot of the chalk cliff, precedes the church. The church was carved into the chalk cliff in 1670/1673 at the expense of Nicolas Dongois, lord of the manor, following the establishment of the village as a parish.

The Troglodyte Church of the Annunciation is the parish church of the village of Haute-Isle, dedicated to the Virgin of the Annunciation. Open by appointment only through the Haute-Isle city/town hall. Only the small square bell tower emerges from the grassy ground that covers the cliff. It is topped with a pyramidal timber and slate roof. The church does not have a facade in the true sense of the word; unlike most cave dwellings, which are generally closed off by a wall. Inside, the single nave is barrel-vaulted with a semicircular arch. It measures 20 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 8 meters high. Lighting is provided by four semicircular windows carved into the rock, devoid of stained glass. The choir, carved out as an extension of the nave, is enclosed by a wooden screen, thought to have come from the chapel of the Rouen courthouse. The remarkable 17C carved wooden altarpiece blends harmoniously into this austere and mineral setting. Two elements of the furnishings stand out: the monumental wooden altarpiece dating back to the origins of the church and modified in the 18C, and the choir screen of carved and gilded wood, also as old as the church.

The village of Haute Isle is built on the right bank of the Seine, along a cliff riddled with caves. It was almost entirely troglodytic from prehistoric times until the 19C. The village was attached to the parish of Chérence until 1670, when its lord, Nicolas Dongois, chief clerk of the Parliament of Paris, requested its elevation to a separate parish. The church was then carved into the rock. Administratively, Haute-Isle, a small lordship, was then dependent on the Duchy of La Roche-Guyon, a neighboring town that had notably obtained the right to hold a market. The village thrived on viticulture until the beginning of the 20C. The housing consisted primarily of the caves, which were subsequently abandoned; only a few troglodytic dwellings are still in use today.

The village of Haute Isle on its history/heritage: https://hauteisle.fr/decouvrir/vie-communale/#histoire

The official association manage the church: https://www.eglise-troglodyte.fr/

The Val d’Oise dept 95 tourist office on the church: https://www.valdoise-tourisme.com/fiches/eglise-troglodytique-de-lannonciation/

The Île de France region tourist office on the church: https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/cave-church-of-the-annunciation

There you go folks, this is a nice wonderful historical spot and a nice place to visit and the views into the Seine river are sublime. Again, hope you enjoy the Troglodyte Church of the Annunciation of Haute-Isle !!! as I.

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

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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