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Origin and history

The abbey of Herivals was founded in 1140 by Ascelin, nicknamed "the Ermite", lord of Marly-la-Ville, who settled in an isolated valley near Luzarches. Joined by companions, he cleared the land and built the first buildings. In 1160, the construction of the definitive buildings began, and the bishop of Paris Maurice de Sully rattacha the abbey to the order of Augustins in 1188. The abbey prospered thanks to the donations of the local lords and the income of many lands in Île-de-France.

In the 13th century, Hérivaux became a parish and experienced a period of growth, with a hundred inhabitants distributed between the hamlet and its surroundings. The abbey played a major economic role, introducing crops such as gaude (tinctorial plant) or poppy. However, as early as the 15th century, monastic life declined: the abbots became comndataires, and management deteriorated, notably under Abbé François Molé (1647-1712), whose excessive expenses threatened the buildings.

In 1632, a fire severely damaged the abbey house, requiring repairs until 1634. Despite a partial reconstruction in 1735 financed by the Duke of Bourbon-Condé, the abbey periclita. The French Revolution sounded its bell: declared national, it was sold in 1791 to Benjamin Constant, who had most of the buildings demolished between 1796 and 1801, retaining only the farm and a pavilion. The current ruins, including the church and the tithe barn, were classified as historical monuments in the 20th century.

In the 19th century, the site was transformed into private property. The architect Paul Ruaud added neoclassical wings for jeweler Georges Mauboussin in the interwar period. During the Second World War, the abbey served as a resting place for German officers. Today, the estate is divided into subdivisions, but the remains of the church and the tithe barn, dated 1187, remain visible from the road. The barn, remarkable for its broken arch arches and spilled pillars, bears witness to medieval architecture adapted to marshy soil.

The Sainte-Marie church, built between 1160 and the 13th century, had a unique nave and a transept leading to a house. Demolished after 1796, partial walls and foundations opened in 1913 remained. Three statues from the 12th to 16th centuries, not original, now adorn the facade. The abbey house, rebuilt after the fire of 1632, was transformed into a "castle" in the 20th century, losing all traces of its medieval appearance. The commons, dating back to 1820, incorporate lapidary elements of uncertain origin.

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