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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Julien-de-Brioude rises on the site of a 9th century Carolingian chapel, which remains the northern wall of the nave. At the end of the 11th century, Dreux de Mello, archdeacon of Brie, gave up the land to the bishopric of Paris, who entrusted it in 1117 to the priory of Saint Martin-des-Champs. The monks then rebuilt the transept, the choir, the apsidioles and the bell tower, marking the beginning of the 12th century. These elements, of Romanesque style on the outside, already incorporate Gothic vaults in the choir, as one of the first dogive crosses of the Paris region.

In the 17th century, a new nave partially replaced the Carolingian nave, then four spans were added to it in the 18th century. In 1870, the northern absidiole collapsed. After World War II, a porch was added, housing a statue of Virgin with a child carved by Charles Jacob. In the 1970s, excavations revealed the original soil and skeletons of the founding monks. A major restoration took place between 2007 and 2008, including the installation of a modern altar by Vincent Guiro.

The church is distinguished by its 12th century capitals, decorated with various motifs (animals, biblical scenes, plants), and its novel altar restored in the 20th century. The stained glass of the choir, representing the Good Shepherd, is a creation by Albert Martine after a carton by Maurice Denis (1943). Classified as a Historical Monument in 1909, it bears witness to the religious and architectural history of Ile-de-France, linked to the Priory Saint-Martin-des-Champs and the local monastic community.

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