Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The former church of Saint-Denys de Coulommiers, located in Seine-et-Marne, was a place of Catholic worship mentioned in 1107 in a charter of Adele, daughter of William the Conqueror. Originally built between the 11th and 12th centuries (or even earlier, as suggested by the Merovingian remains discovered in 1968), it was profoundly remodeled around 1220 in a Gothic style, with a five-sided apse and ogival bays. Its history is marked by recurrent structural problems, including the partial collapse of the vaults of the choir in 1516, which triggered a campaign of restoration and expansion, including the uplifting of the bell tower — the cause of its famous inclination.

In the 16th century, the church, considered too small and old, underwent major changes: the nave was extended, lateral chapels dedicated to corporations (tanners, winemakers, blacksmiths...) were added, and the bell tower was raised between 1553 and 1571. However, this work increases its instability. As early as 1662, reports alerted us to the "minor danger" of the tower, leading to temporary closures and emergency repairs, as in 1723 after a further collapse of the vaults. The French Revolution accentuated its decline: in 1791, its royal symbols were hammered, its bells melted, and it was briefly transformed into a temple of Reason.

In the 19th century, despite the consolidations (arase of the bell tower in 1882), the building was declared unsanitary after the inauguration of the new church of Saint Denys-Sainte-Foy in 1911. Disused, it was finally demolished in 1968, despite the opposition of inhabitants and the committee of historical monuments. Some remains (chapitals, statues) were saved in extremis and are now preserved at the Commandery of the Coulommiers Templars and at the Capuchins Municipal Museum. His legacy persisted through elements transferred to the new church, such as stained glass windows, organs, and the tombstone of Thibault de Pontmoulin (1325).

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