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Castle ruins, sculptured records of 16th-century life, a farm "déjeuner" and the choice of two châteaux, whose grounds are at the source of France's landscaping...
- From these heights, a view little changed since the Middle Ages
 - One easily imagines the link between fort and village...
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 - from the most important feudal ruin in Île de France.
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- It harbors a church where "miséricordes" snuggle into the choir-stalls
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 - We can walk up to these records of 16th-century life (the barrier separates us from the altar, not the carvings).
Miséricordes: half-seats on which monks could lean posteriors during hours of chant. Because decorating them with sacred subjects was forbidden, sculptors could carve whatever they pleased.
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The priest opens the church and accompanies us.
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- A crucifix reveals a German P.o.W's experience of war
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He carved it in pieces, which the villagers assembled after he left.
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Its remarkable creator left no personal trace. His work is as anonymous, powerful and tragic as any from the Middle Ages.
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On weekdays we suggest a café in the village, with family cooking. on weekends,
we drive on for half an hour.
 - Road scene
 - Eighteenth-century pigeon-house, where the farm equipment is kept.
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- We come to a farm, which is a restaurant on weekends
There's every chance of sharing a room with a baptism or communion party. This is a feast – schedule at least an hour and a half.
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 - Almost everything is produced on the spot.
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 - Medals
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- Then a choice of châteaux parks
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After the intense morning and excellent déjeuner, visitors appreciate strolling at their own pace through sublime grounds, at the origin of classic French landscaping. Both estates are on return routes to Paris. |
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• Costs: please CLICK . Remember lunch and the entry fee to the chosen estate. |
Credits: View / Robert Adams; church interior and château /Gilbert Cordier; waterway / château de Courances; other photos / Claude Abron
