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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of Breuil-sur-Vesle, located in the village of the same name in the Grand East region, is a religious building built in the 12th century. Although mostly Romanesque, it incorporates Gothic elements, such as the bay of the south arm. Classified as historical monuments by decree of 1 May 1923, it illustrates the medieval heritage of the Marne, while bearing the stigma of the destruction suffered during the First World War, including the loss of wooden statues evacuated to the Tau Palace of Reims, burned by German bombs.

The church gate, sober and flanked by two buttresses, opens on a framed nave of two sides pierced with six bays each. The cul-de-four, decorated with five bays and fine modillons, reflects a sober yet elaborate architecture. Inside, a commemorative plaque pays tribute to Roch Godrelot, parish priest who died in 1653, while a cross road from Magne and the remains of the statues of Mary and an angel recall the artistic and religious heritage lost during the war. These elements highlight both the historic richness of the site and its vulnerability to conflict.

Owned by the municipality of Breuil-sur-Vesle (code Insee 51086), the church is located on 4 Rue de l'Eglise, in a rural environment marked by its Champagne history. Its classification as a historical monument and its mention in the Mérimée and Clochers bases of France make it a privileged witness to the religious and architectural heritage of the Grand Est region, between medieval heritage and memory of modern wars.

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