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Origin and history

The Saint-Jean-Baptiste church of Saint-Thibault-des-Vignes was built at the end of the 11th century by Arnoul de Ternois, abbot of Saint-Pierre de Lagny-sur-Marne, to house the relics of his brother, Saint Thibault de Provins, hermit died in 1066. Originally conceived with a nave of four spans and a semicircular apse, it became a place of pilgrimage after miracles attributed to relics. The village developed around this Benedictine priory, before the church became parish in the 16th century, under the name of Saint John the Baptist.

In the 18th century, the church suffered partial destruction: half of its nave and sides were demolished in 1756 and 1777, while a new facade was raised. Romanesque capitals, rediscovered during 19th century works, bear witness to its medieval origin. Partially classified in 1974 and its façade inscribed in 2021, it preserves a reliquary shawl, a tabernacle and statues of saints, including that of Saint Thibault.

Its architecture combines Romanesque elements (fish ridge apparatus, cradle vault) and posterior additions, such as the concrete bows of the bedside (1943). The bell tower, remodeled and covered in slate, dominates the building, while successive restorations (notably in 1969-1973) allowed to highlight its historical remains. The church thus illustrates the evolution of a medieval place of worship as a parish monument, marked by phases of decline and rebirth.

The relics of St.Thibault, at the origin of its foundation, attracted pilgrims until the 18th century, before worship declined. The building, a communal property, remains a testimony of Romanesque art in Île-de-France, associated with the local history of Seine-et-Marne and medieval Christian devotion.

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