Attractions and Places To See around Jouy-Le-Châtel - Top 9

Located in the commune of Chevru, 15 km south-east of Coulommiers, the Saint-Thibault church has a complex history. Towards the end of the 11th and the beginning of the 12th century, the church was dedicated to Saint-Thibault. This testifies to a significant attachment to the Champagne region, of which Saint Thibault (born in Provins around 1030) is a native. The architecture of the building, modified several times since the Middle Ages, underwent numerous renovation works in the 19th century which make its study difficult. If a church is mentioned in Chevru in the 10th century, the choir visible today dates from the end of the 12th century. A nave was added to it at an indeterminate date. In the 17th century, a north collateral was built, probably extended in the 19th century by a sacristy. A fairly complete set of 18th-century furnishings (wrought iron enclosure, altarpiece, paneling, altar) classified as Historic Monuments, is still in place in the choir. It was the subject of several restorations between 1997 and 2000, as was the bell tower in 1998, 2006, and 2007.

Menhir of Pierrefitte 3 m high is known under the name of Saint-Aubierge gable or Saint Flodoberthe. These names testify to the Christianization of pagan sacred places during the early Middle Ages. According to the legend Saint FlodoBerthe, a nun from Faremoutiers Abbey in the 7th century decided to establish a chapel between Faremoutiers and Saintes. Not finding a stone to carry out her project, she shared her wish with her sister Sainte Aubierge, the latter brought back the menhir in her apron, the shape of which evokes a church gable, she let go of the corner of her apron and the stone stuck. in the Maillard pond in its current place.

Very easy to access from the Gastins exit going towards Chapelle Iger or the opposite... We go around it on foot, which allows us to contemplate it. It is the only mill in France to have preserved this mechanism, which is why it was classified as a Historic Monument (including its mechanism) in 1970. The Choix mill depended in the 13th century on the abbey of Jouy, which built large agricultural operations and in Gastins two windmills, in 1228. Among them is the mill called Chouaix or Choix, from the name of a disappeared hamlet . This mill which has come down to us was then often rebuilt and its current construction dates from the 17th century. It bears two dates on its doors: 1668 on the north door and 1828 on its south door. It is built at an altitude of 132 meters. Its tower is 8 m high and 6 m in diameter. Its rack and pinion wings, built in 1845, are of the Berton type, the first model with rack, mill-tower and pivot with rotating cap. The roof is attached to the wings, made of chestnut wood tiles, called “essentes”, fixed with copper nails. The roof turns on a circle of wood located at the top of the tower. The tail, a large wooden beam, acts as a counterweight to the wings and allows the roof to be moved. He uses two pairs of grindstones from the Ferté-sous-Jouarre region, in the north of Seine-et-Marne, where there are sandstone quarries. It was restored by an association during the 1970s and officially returned to the wind on September 10, 1977. source: https://www.brienangissienne.fr/Le-Moulin-Choix-de-Gastins.html

The menhir is made up of a large sandstone slab 3.50 m high with a width at the base of 2.40 m and an average thickness of 0.50 m. It has an oblique groove approximately 2 m long by 4 cm wide on its face and obtained by staking to a depth of 1 cm. An excavation carried out at the foot of the menhir did not yield any archaeological material2. Sainte-Flodoberthe and her sister Sainte-Aubierge both built their respective chapels in Amillis and Saint-Augustin. Sainte-Flodoberthe having finished building hers wanted to offer a beautiful stone to her sister but on the way she met the latter who came to tell her that she had also completed her project. Sainte-Flodoberthe then abandoned the stone on the spot. As for the groove, it would have been made by the handle of Sainte-Flodoberthe's distaff which spun while walking with the stone under her arm2. Source: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Fitte_(Beautheil)

This “cave” is in reality nothing natural since it is a reproduction of that of Massabielle, called the “Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes” cave in which Bernadette Soubirous says she saw her mother appear to her. Jesus. It is located south of the village on the heights of the Aubetin valley. It took place on land donated by Robert Olivier, a farmer from the town. This grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes was built in 1958, the centenary year of the apparitions of Our Lady in Lourdes. Created and built by Father Jean Fabing, parish priest of Amillis, it was built by workers from Moselle with the help of the parishioners of Amillis, Chevru and Dagny and many friends and benefactors on this land in the Bois de la Croix . Inauguration and blessing on July 13, 1958 by Monsignor Georges Romain, Vicar General. In 1962 Pope John XXIII granted the plenary indulgence to all those who helped with the construction of the building and to all those who come to make pilgrimage there. From this day on, the cave has enjoyed real local success, demonstrated by the crowds that flocked to it during the procession on August 15. Carefully maintained by the faithful of the village and surrounding areas, the Notre-Dame-de Lourdes cave is open daily to all those who wish to stop there. Pilgrimage on August 15. Source: https://www.amillis.fr/amillis/histoire/

Magnificent 13th century church with a portal from the same period, which was part of a commandery of the Hospitaller Order of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem (the current Order of Malta).

quite rare in Seine et Marne this pretty menhir is worth the trip