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Origin and history

The Church of St.Christophe de Créteil, dedicated to St.Christophe, is a Catholic building built between the 11th and 13th centuries. Its crypt, which dates back to the 11th century, dates back to the 8th century, while the bell tower, 30 meters high, is erected in 1050. The nave and crypt are first built, then the church is enlarged in Gothic style at the end of the 13th century. It was listed as a historic monument in 1928. Archaeological excavations revealed Merovingian sarcophagus and burials, perhaps dating from the fourth century, attesting to an ancient occupation of the site.

The interior of the church combines Romanesque and Gothic elements, with a 13th century nave encompassing the eighth century crypt, where the relics of Saint Agoard and Saint Agilbert are preserved. The nave has three naves separated by four columns, forming nine vaulted bay spans. The neogothic stained glass windows of the bedside, installed in 1854, illustrate the life of Christ, while those of the side chapels are dedicated to the Virgin and Saint Geneviève. The bells, including Josephine Elizabeth (recast in 1867) and a bell dating from 1552, bear witness to her turbulent history, marked by successive restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The church has undergone several modifications over the centuries: the bell tower, burned in 1903, was restored in 1930 with a return to its original four-sided roof. The small south porch, built in the 13th century, is transformed into a closed room during the Revolution. The restorations of the 19th century included the bas-cotés (1856-1859), the bell tower (1871) and the choir (1895). Historical pieces, such as the high altar offered by the Duchess of Caumont La Force and a painting by Vincent-Niclas Raverat representing the martyrs of Creteil, disappeared after the Second Vatican Council.

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