A couple of people kindly asked to know more about the tiny church I showed in my Sunday post. I saw this little stone building for the first time on the way to a brocante yesterday, and was intrigued by it's unusual shape outlined on the horizon.
I looked up the history. The 11th century church was originally part of the village, now called Chateau sur Epte. Around 1096, a Duke of Normandy decided he needed a fortified castle, and of course chose to build it on the highest point in his duchy. Now, an empty fortified castle is not a great deal of use so - without running a poll on people's opinion! - he moved the existing village to within the defending wall of the castle, thus creating a void around what was the village church. As the church was used less and less, and people started building more, they found that the easiest place to source stones for building was the old church ....... and began to dismantle it.
The tiny edifice we see today was in fact a small wing of the original structure, but is the only bit left intact. Farmers ploughing in the area regularly turn up huge pieces of pale stone in the fields, reminders of the sad cannibalisation.
Besides its size, I was also struck by the fantastic view from the church and graveyard, totally quiet and isolated.
It was a nice surprise to find the door wide open, most unusual these days, and of course once inside the stunning sky blue wooden ceiling.
I expected to find other people there, waylaid like myself after visiting the brocante, but my only company were the names on the gravestones, and the song of a skylark - happy days.
Thank you for letting me share this peaceful interlude in my busy day.
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