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Origin and history

The Church of St. John of the Island of Corbeil-Essonnes finds its origins in the installation of Hospitallers of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem on the island of Corbeil at the end of the 12th century. In 1184-1185 Alice de Bergeres offered eight acres of land to build a commandery and chapel, while successive gifts (moulins, rights of justice, lands) of local lords and the royal family, such as Alix de France (mother of Philippe Auguste), enriched the estate. These acquisitions allowed the foundation of a priory in 1223 by Queen Ingeburge, the widow of Philippe Auguste, who turned the prefecture into a priory and gave the order of substantial income, including an annuity of fifty measures of wheat.

The chapel, from plan to Latin cross, is built with a unique nave, a transept and a choir with a heptagonal apse, vaulted on dogive crosses. Its carved decoration and stained glass windows make it a remarkable building, described in 1495 as "sumptuously edified". The priory, surrounded by meadows and convent buildings, becomes a major religious and economic center, possessing lands, vineyards and seigneurial rights over Corbeil and its surroundings. However, its management is marked by crises, especially in the 14th century, where mortality and maladministration reduce its income, requiring annexation of neighbouring command offices like Savigny-le-Temple.

Over the centuries, the priory undergoes transformations and declines. In 1793 it was converted into a powder factory and the chapel was converted into a coal factory, damaged by explosions. Saved by local protests around 1820, it became a storage place before being restored and classified as a historical monument in 2007. Today, the chapel, the last vestige of the priory, serves as a temporary exhibition, bearing witness to its hospitable and royal past.

The priory's possessions covered more than 200 acres of arable land, forests (such as that of Rougeau), and rights of justice in Corbeil, Mormant and Vilbert. His income, estimated at £21,500 in 1783, was also derived from attached commissions such as Melun or Tigery. Queen Ingeburge played a central role, founding a perpetual service of Masses for the deceased sovereigns and residing there before her death. The order of Saint John of Jerusalem, after management conflicts in the 17th century, ended up linking the priory to the treasurer general of the Order in 1631.

The architecture of the chapel, although deprived of its original arrow and roof, preserves early Gothic elements, such as its lancettes and vaults. The 15th and 16th century minutes describe a rich interior, with an ivory tabernacle, copper candlesticks and frescoes depicting the Assumption. These details, combined with its history linked to the crown of France and the hospital order, make it an emblematic monument of the medieval francilian heritage.

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