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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, located in Val-d-Oise in Île-de-France, is a religious building with Romanesque and Gothic influences, built between the 11th and 19th centuries. Its 11th century choir, with its cul-de-four apse and its plated arches, is one of the most remarkable in the region. The nave, originally Romanesque, was rebuilt in a primitive Gothic style after a fire in 1180, while the flamboyant southern collateral dates back to the late 15th century. The church was classified as a historical monument in 1938, after centuries of modifications and forgetting its archaeological value.

The history of the church is intimately linked to that of Saint Clair, an English monk martyred in 884 near the village, then named Vulcassum. According to legend, he would have carried his head to the oratory before designating his burial in the church. Its relics, preserved on site, attract pilgrims from the ninth century, especially for the healing of eye diseases. The Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, signed in 911 on its relics, marks the foundation of the Duchy of Normandy and confirms the historic importance of the site.

Archaeological excavations conducted in 1958-1959 revealed the remains of a 9th century Carolingian church under the current choir, proving the seniority of the religious site. Despite successive restorations, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, the church preserves rare elements, such as Norman Romanesque capitals or a 16th century frame arrow. Today, although the annual pilgrimage persists, the building, without a priest resident since the 1980s, welcomes more than occasional celebrations.

The church furniture includes classified objects, such as a 16th century carved group representing burial, or 17th century stalls. The cephalophoreal statue of Saint Clair, dated from the last quarter of the sixteenth century, illustrates the local devotion. The southern collateral, dedicated to the Virgin since 1884, houses a altarpiece from Versailles, while the north crusillon, transformed into a chapel, preserves the relics of Saints Clair and Cyrin in 19th-century shawls.

The restoration campaigns, especially in the 20th century, allowed to rediscover hidden Romanesque elements, such as blind archatures of the choir or murals. Despite its ranking, the church remains unknown to specialists, due to its isolation and lack of in-depth studies. Its heterogeneous architecture, resulting from four distinct construction periods, makes it a unique testimony to the evolution of religious styles in Île-de-France.

The cult of Saint Clair, still celebrated on July 16 by a stake and a procession with torches, perpetuates a tradition dating back to the ninth century. Although the pilgrimage has lost its magnitude, the inhabitants of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte jealously preserve the relics, a symbol of their historical and spiritual identity.

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