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Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption of Neuilly, located in the village of Neuilly (comune of Valravillon, Yonne), is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It depends on the Archdiocese of Sens-Auxerre and the parish of Notre-Dame-des-Trois-Vallées. Its architecture combines a central nave, two sides, a discreet transept and a five-sided apse, topped by a small square bell tower. Originally, the building had only one nave with two side chapels, before being enlarged and remodelled.

A first mention of the church dates back to the 11th century (Poullé de Sens), confirmed in the 12th century as property of the chapter of Sens. Ravaged during the Wars of Religion, it was rebuilt in the 16th century, with elements dating from the 15th century. A fire in 1785 partially destroyed the bell tower, sparing the nave and choir. At the beginning of the 20th century, Father Marchand carried out important restorations under the direction of Abbé Girault, a specialist in the churches of the Archdiocese. The building was consecrated in 1901 by Bishop Ardin and inscribed in historical monuments in 1927.

The interior houses a classified golden wooden master altar (1624), adorned with statues and an ionic altarpiece with a painting by Notre-Dame du Rosaire (1781, Lemaître d'Auxerre). The crypt preserves a 16th century high relief made of polychrome wood, representing the Assumption of the Virgin carried by angels, on a base with arms of Jeanne de Courtenay, widow residing at Neuilly Castle. The church, a communal property, was restored in 1993 and 2007.

Today, it hosts daily Masses every other month on weekdays (8:30 a.m.) and Sunday Mass every other Sunday. Its movable heritage and history reflect the architectural and religious evolutions of Burgundy, marked by successive conflicts and reconstructions.

The protected elements include the entire building, inscribed by order of 24 January 1927. The available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum, Mérimée base) confirm its address in Neuilly (Valravillon) and its Insee code (89196), in the department of Yonne, Burgundy-Franche-Comté region.

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