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Origin and history

The Basilica of Saint Mathurin de Larchant, located in Seine-et-Marne, is a Catholic church dedicated to Saint Mathurin, a legendary figure of the third century. According to a medieval legend, Mathurin, born in Larchant, was called to Rome to exorcise the daughter of Emperor Maximien Hercules. After his death, his body was brought back to his native village, where his tomb became a place of miracles and major pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. Although commonly referred to as the basilica, she never received this official church title.

Larchant's history has been linked to the chapter of Notre-Dame de Paris since the 11th century, when Elizabeth Le Riche, heir of the estate, gave it to this institution. Under their auspices, the church became a flourishing pilgrimage centre, attracting kings like Charles IV, Louis XI, and Henry IV. The offerings of the pilgrims even partially financed the clerics of Notre Dame. The pilgrimage, focused on the healing of the mad and possessed, reached its peak between the 12th and 16th centuries, before declining after the French Revolution.

The architecture of the building, built between the late 12th and 16th centuries, reflects the evolution of the Gothic style in Île-de-France. The basilica, classified as a historic monument in 1846, has suffered numerous degradations over the centuries: looting during the wars of Religion (1567-1568), partial collapse in 1675, and successive restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries. Despite these vicissitudes, it remains a remarkable testimony of Gothic art, with a nave of 57 meters, a semicircular choir, and a tower-clocher of 50 meters.

The pilgrimage of Saint Mathurin, once one of the most important in France, attracted faithful who had come to plead for his protection from madness and demonic possession. Famous exorcisms, such as that of 1601 where a demon named Astoth was forced to recognize the relics of the saint, illustrate the spiritual importance of the place. Today, an annual ceremony on Pentecost Monday continues this tradition.

The impressive dimensions of the basilica (57 m long, 18 m high under vaults) and its architectural elements, such as the foothills of the abside and the triplet of windows of the transept, make it a jewel of the Franciscan heritage. The chapel of the Virgin, added in the 15th century, and the portal of the Last Judgment, inspired by Notre-Dame de Paris, bear witness to its rich artistic and religious past.

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