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Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Marcoussis came into being in the 12th century, when the priory of Benedictines, dependent on the Norman abbey of Saint-Wandrille, settled on the site. The present nave, built in flint between 1142 and 1170, is the vestige of this early chapel dedicated to St.Wandrolle. The bell tower in mill, topped by an octagonal lantern, dates from the beginning of the thirteenth century. Historical confusion caused the name of the church to change to St Mary Magdalene, because of the coincidence between the feast of the saint (22 July) and that of the saint.

In the 15th century, Jean de Montagu, lord of Marcoussis, financed the reconstruction of the sandstone choir (1402–1408), decorated with the arms of his family and the Graville. The latter, including Admiral de Graville and his daughter Anne, marked the building in the 16th century: a beam of glory was added, stained glass was ordered, and an aborted project of low-sides left two unfinished pillars on the north wall. In 1562 Calvinists looted the priory and church, destroying part of the convent buildings.

The French Revolution turned the church into the only place of worship in Marcoussis after the destruction of the monastery of the Celestines. His property, including the Virgin with the Child of John of Cambrai (1408), was confiscated and returned to the Empire. Between 1883 and 1888 the stained glass windows, made by the Lorin de Chartres workshops, replaced the old ones. The building was finally listed as a historical monument in 1965, preserving its mix of Romanesque (nef), Gothic (chœur) and flamboyant (façade) architecture.

The interior furniture includes classified elements: a neogothic altar (19th century), 14 18th century stalls, and a bell of 1765. A spectacular flight in 1973 temporarily deprived the church of a painting by Theodore Chassériau (1855), Jesus at Martha and Mary, found in Germany and returned. The axial glass, signed by widow Lorin in 1887, illustrates this same biblical theme.

The church, located in the city center facing the Place de la République, dominates the valley of the Salmouille. Its history reflects religious tensions (Religion Wars, Revolution) and local seigneurial dynamics, while maintaining major artistic traces, such as armorial vault keys or 19th century stained glass windows.

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