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Origin and history

The Church of the Assumption of Javernant, located in the Aube department, is a religious building built between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. It consists of a single nave with three spans, a salient transept and a polygonal bedside choir. Its dimensions are notable: 33 meters long, 8 meters wide (16 meters at the transept), and a height of 8 meters. Its weight is estimated at 2,300 tonnes. An inscription on the southern altar, dated 1517, confirms that the transept was completed in the first quarter of the sixteenth century. The tombstone of Jacques the Pitancier, an apostolic notary who died in 1482, integrated into the choir wall, could offer clues about his financing, still mysterious today.

The history of the church is marked by administrative changes and financial challenges. Formerly a branch of Saint-Jean-de-Bonneval, it was established as a cure in 1747 after repeated requests from the inhabitants. The bell tower, which was abolished in 1959 for lack of resources, illustrates the difficulties encountered. Closed in 1993 for security reasons, it benefited from major restoration work between 1998 and 1999, allowing its reopening on 15 August 1999. Since 1926, it has been a historical and architectural witness to the region.

Church management has evolved over time. Owned by the municipality of Javernant, its access is now regulated by the town hall and local residents, who hold the keys. The monks of Montier-la-Celle Abbey, although lords of Javernant, did not participate in its construction, allowing questions to be raised about the sources of its initial financing. The poverty of the inhabitants of the period adds to the riddle, reinforcing the historical interest of this emblematic monument of the wood heritage.

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