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Origin and history

The abbey of Notre-Dame-des-Ardents-et-Saint-Pierre, located in Lagny-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne), is the former church of Saint-Pierre Abbey, founded in 648 by Saint Fursy. Ravaged by the Normans in 910, it was rebuilt in 987 thanks to Herbert II de Troyes, then dedicated in 1019. King Robert the Pious offered relics, including a thorn of the Crown of Christ and a nail of the Passion, stolen in 1567 by the Calvinists.

The church was struck by the evil of the ardent in 1033 and 1127, leading to the dedication of the chapel to Notre-Dame-des-Ardents. Four fires (1134-1184) damaged the building, causing Abbé Jean Britel to launch a reconstruction in 1206. The 13th-century work covered a 110 m long building (never completed), while restorations in the 17th and 18th centuries reduced its size to 48 m.

In 1430, Joan of Arc performed a miracle there (resurrection of a child) and placed there six swords, including that of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois. Classified as a historical monument in 1886, the abbatial suffered damage in 1870 (Prussian occupation) and 1944 (German bombardments). Its glass windows, partially destroyed, were restored in the 20th century by Claudus Lévêque and Roger Poupart.

The architecture mixes Gothic (XIIIe) and classical (XVIIe), with a porch-clocher, dedicated chapels (Jeanne d'Arc, Blessed Virgin) and missing relics. The current dimensions (48 m x 37 m) reflect successive transformations. A statue of Joan of Arc, erected in 1923, commemorates her passage.

The bells were melted during the Revolution, and the current windows date back to 1951-1956. The monument preserves traces of earlier churches (XII century) and a Latin slab reminiscent of the miracle of 1430: "HIC REVIXIT INFANS SUPPLICANT JOHANNA 1430".

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