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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul, located in Villenauxe-la-Grande in the department of the Aube (Great East region), is a religious building whose choir and first spans of the nave date from the 13th century. It is distinguished by its absence of transept and by the presence of a five-part collateral surrounding the choir. The four central spans of the nave were added in the 15th century, while the last two and the (uncompleted) tower date from the 16th century, with a finalisation in the 17th century and restorations in the 19th century.

Until the 18th century, shops occupied the space between the foothills of the church. Ranked a historic monument in 1840, it suffered major damage during a German bombardment on 13 June 1940, losing its original stained glass windows. These were replaced in 2005 by contemporary creations by David Tremlett, made by master glassmakers Benoît and Stéphanie Marq (Atelier Simon Marq de Reims), covering 24 bays for about 200 m2. These modern stained glass windows are part of a strong regional tradition in Champagne-Ardenne, rich in old windows.

The church thus illustrates a superposition of architectural styles, from medieval to contemporary, while at the same time testifying to historical vicissitudes, including the conflicts of the twentieth century. Its precise location is the 6 Place Georges Clemenceau in Villenauxe-la-Grande, in a department marked by a dense religious heritage.

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