Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de La Ferté-Milon, originally called the Fouquet chapel, was built in the 12th century on the side of the plateau of the castle. It was modest in size and had sideways connected to the nave by square pillars, some of which still remain today. This first building reflected the Romanesque architecture of the period, adapted to a population then concentrated around the Faubourg Saint-Waast.

In the 16th century, under the impetus of Catherine de Medici, the Duchess of Customs in the forest of Retz, the chapel was enlarged to meet the needs of a growing population. The draining of the marshes, linked to the Ourcq pipeline, allowed urban expansion to the rue de la Chaussée. A semi-circular bedside, with five large windows and attributed to Philibert Delorme, was added in 1563, as evidenced by the date engraved on a banner decorated with florets. The slope of the terrain imposed the creation of an underground chapel under the new choir.

The church furniture, partially classified since 1912, illustrates its rich past. An 18th-century organ buffet, originally from Coincy Abbey, was acquired in 1792 during the Revolution. Other notable pieces include an eagle-lutrin, a statue of St Bruno (late 17th), and a polychrome wooden visitation of the 16th century. The stained glass windows, dating from the 13th to the 16th century, are among the most remarkable, with scenes such as that of Saint Denis or Litany, as well as medallions offered by Jeanne de Rubenpré in 1528.

The bell tower houses six bells, including two 17th century fixed ones, and a mechanical clock of 1866, restored in 2019. The stained glass windows and rosette, restored in 2014, as well as the Romanesque bays of the West facade, highlight the architectural evolution of the building. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1920, the church remains a major testimony to the religious and urban history of the region.

The building, located in the old town near the remains of the castle, is accessible via Rue des Rats or Rue Jules-Girbes. Its architecture combines Romanesque and Renaissance influences, while its furniture and stained glass windows reflect historical upheavals from the medieval period to the French Revolution.

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