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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul de Bourgogne-Fresne, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, is a Romanesque building dating back to the years 1150-1170 for the choir and side chapel. It was given in 1171 in the chapter of the Cathedral of Reims by Count Guiscard de Roucy, remaining under his property until the Revolution. This monument illustrates a historical peculiarity: the chapter of Reims financed the nave, while the villagers maintained the choir, an inversion of the corrected roles in 1698.

The nave, built in the 13th century, was completely destroyed during World War I and subsequently rebuilt, with notable changes. The southern chapel, dedicated to the Virgin, dates from the 14th century. The building, marked by its Romanesque style (palmstones, square tower above the transept), was classified as a historical monument in 1921. Its architecture thus combines preserved medieval elements and parts rebuilt in the 20th century.

The damage suffered in 1914-1918 erased part of its material history, but the written sources (Jadart, Henriet) and archaeological studies attest to its importance in the Champagne religious heritage. The Champagne-Ardenne Heritage Guide (1992) and the archaeological congresses highlight its role in local history, between episcopal influence and community life.

Today owned by the commune of Bourgogne-Fresne (Marne), the church is distinguished by its slender nave, comparable to that of Lavannes, and its Romanesque capitals decorated with plant and animal motifs. Its classification in 1921 devotes its heritage value, between medieval memory and modern reconstruction.

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