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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Sulpice-et-Notre-Dame de Noisy-le-Grand finds its origins in a 6th century Christian oratory, erected in memory of Clovis, son of Chilperic I, murdered by order of Frédégonde according to Grégoire de Tours. This primitive oratory, located near the ancient Merovingian court of Chilperic, became the base of the present church after the monks of the Priory Saint-Martin-des-Champs received the parish in 1089, with the agreement of the local lords Hugues de Dammartin and Renaud de Chelles.

The building of the church began around 1130-1140 with a Romanesque bell tower backed by the original oratory, now integrated as an apse from the north side. The nave and choir, of Gothic style, were added around 1245. The building was dedicated to Notre-Dame and Saint-Sulpice in 1484, probably marking the completion of the vaults, including that in a cradle decorated with a 17th century frieze. Several reshuffle campaigns took place in the 13th, 16th and 17th centuries.

The church was the framework of the marriage of Alexander de Beauharnais and Josephine Tascher de la Pagerie in 1779, a future couple marked by history. Listed as Supplementary Inventory of Monuments Historical in 1999, it benefited from major restorations between 2011 and 2013, regaining its original appearance: gate, vaults, and recreused bays. A new organ and bell were installed there, while earlier works (1760, 1979) had already preserved its structure.

Architecturally, the church consists of a nave with three ships of five spans, without transept, and a choir of two spans. The south side, vaulted with ridges, ends with a flat bedside, while the north side, vaulted with dogives, has a cul-de-four apse. These elements reflect medieval stylistic developments and subsequent adaptations.

Its location, on the Church Square in Noisy-le-Grand (Seine-Saint-Denis), also recalls the proximity of the ancient royal residence Merovingian. The successive excavations and restorations highlighted its central role in local religious and social life, from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era.

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