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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Rémy de Gespunsart, located in the Ardennes, finds its origins in the 9th century, where a chapel dedicated to Saint Rémy is mentioned in a charter of Foulques the Venerable, Archbishop of Reims. The village, then named Gebuisart, depended on Castrice County and was attached to the collegiate Saint-Vivent de Braux. This first chapel, which became a Romanesque church in the 12th century, was fortified around 1570 by Catherine de Clèves, before being destroyed to give way to the present building.

The construction of the present church began in 1788, authorized by the King's Council, under the direction of the entrepreneur Marion-Templus de Mézières. Using Dom's size stones, the works were completed in 1790, in the middle of the French Revolution. The building, with an undefined architectural style, is distinguished by an inverted orientation (chorus to the west) and unique elements such as its three superimposed domes and its large organs. Its furniture, including statues, altars and classified paintings, bears witness to its rich heritage.

In the 20th century, the church benefited from restorations financed by Iseroese communes after the destruction of the First World War, especially for its bells and organs. Ranked a historic monument in 1984, it preserves 19th-century glass windows signed by Olivier Durieux and remains a symbol of local resilience. Its history reflects the political, religious and architectural upheavals of the region, from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era.

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