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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame de Sorcy-Bauthémont, located in the Ardennes, is a rural building mainly Romanesque, built between the 12th and 16th centuries. Mentioned in 1176 in a charter of the Count of Rethel under the name Milone de Sorceyo, it is placed under the authority of the Abbey of Our Lady of Sept-Fontaines and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Its existence is confirmed in stilettos (ecclesiastical registers) of the 14th and 18th centuries, where it appears as a place of worship dependent on the dean of the Châtelet.

The western facade, divided into three levels, is a masterpiece of Romanesque ornamentation. The gate in the middle of the hanger, surmounted by a four-lobe window and a cornice with acanthe leaves, evokes Gallo-Roman Corinthian architecture. Inside, the exposed nave and the dogid vaults of the transept cross reflect a Carolingian tradition. The square tower, partially destroyed by a hurricane in 1834, and carved wooden stalls (17th century) testify to subsequent transformations.

Ranked a historic monument in 1986, the church retains remarkable furniture, including a high altar dated 1717 and two bells installed in 1837, replacing those confiscated during the Revolution. Its history is linked to several regional abbeys, such as Saint-Remi de Reims and Sept-Fontaines, who perceived their tithes. The building thus illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of an Ardennes village over nearly nine centuries.

Historical sources, such as the Reims stilts or the works of historian Hubert Collin, underline his stylistic originality. Collin describes it as "the most beautiful facade of the region", highlighting the finesse of its ornamental sculpture. Despite the hazards (Revolution, hurricane), the church remains a major testimony of the Champagne-Ardennes Romanesque heritage.

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