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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativity, located in Moret-sur-Loing (now Moret-Loing-et-Orvanne), is a religious building built three centuries ago, from the twelfth to the fifteenth century. It was erected at the site of an ancient Romanesque church, with a chronological progression: apse and choir (XIIe), transept (XIIIe), nave (XIVe), then bell tower and façade (XVe). Its architecture, marked by double oculi in the abside and a nave with eight columns decorated with painted cartridges (like Saint Peter with his key), bears witness to similar influences as those of Notre-Dame de Paris. Classified as a Historical Monument in 1840 and then in 1921 for its adjacent land, it suffered collateral damage in 1944 during the explosion of a neighbouring bridge, partially destroying its stained glass windows, including the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (a fragment of the tree of Jesse remains).

The façade, restored in 2018 for 184 000 € after a year of work, is a significant part of the building. Inside, the door of the sacristy (1874) features carved panels of saints (Saint Apolline, Saint John the Baptist, etc.), while the organ, whose buffet dates from the years 1530–40, underwent several transformations: a first instrument in 1664 by Francis of Castel (15 games), improved in 1690, and then abandoned after the Revolution. Restored in the years 1980–2000 by Michel Girou, he was re-inaugurated in 2002 by the organist Ricardo Miravet. The vaults of the nave, the cartridges of the apostles and the remaining stained glass windows (such as the glass window of the abside) complete this rich heritage, reflecting both medieval art and the hazards of history.

The architectural influence of Notre-Dame de Paris can be seen in the three-level structure of the choir, the abside and the transept, where the light is optimized by staggered oculi and a glass roof. The nave, on the other hand, has columns surmounted by vaults, each decorated with a painted cartridge depicting apostles, as St Peter accompanied by a cock. These artistic details, coupled with historical events (classifications, restorations, war damage), make this church a major witness to the religious and cultural heritage of Seine-et-Marne. Its organ, ranked among the oldest in the region, and its carved elements (Tribune of the 15th century, buffet of the 16th) underline its heritage importance, reinforced by its early protection in 1840.

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