Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Rémi church of Condé-sur-Marne, dedicated to Saint Remi de Reims, was built in the 12th century on the site of an old Saint-Sauveur chapel. Its Romanesque architecture, marked by a narrow-story bell tower (rare in Europe) and a western turret-shaped pepper tower portal, bears witness to its medieval origin. The north porch, of Renaissance Henry II style, has the interlaced crescents of Diane de Poitiers, adding a humanist touch to the building. Ranked a historic monument on 6 March 1918, it was severely damaged by a German bombardment in 1917, losing its roof, its north wall and all its original furniture.

Inside, the church, today stripped, once held three altars (Holy Virgin, Saint Remy, St. Nicholas), an organ and a pulpit, disappeared during the Revolution and then under the bombs. Some remains remain, such as a bas-relief of the choir and sculptures on columns. The present furniture, reconstituted by donations and volunteers, includes a cross path offered in 1940 and baptismal fonts never used. A black stone from the disappeared church of Brabant and a plaque to Abbé Munier (cured buried on site) recall his turbulent history.

The site also includes symbolic elements, such as the crescents of Diane de Poitiers on the Renaissance porch, or the 12th century pepper turret, typical of Champagne Romanesque art. Despite the destruction, the church remains a testimony of the architectural transformations (Roman, Gothic, Renaissance) and historical upheavals (wars, Revolution) that marked the Marne. Its ranking in 1918, shortly after the damage of 1917, underscores its heritage importance for the Greater East region.

External links