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Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Mathie, originally dedicated to St Didier, finds its origins in the 9th century with the construction of a first church outside the walls of Sens. Burned in 1015, rebuilt and then abandoned during the Hundred Years War, it was shaved in 1567 by parishioners for strategic reasons against the Huguenots. It was only in the 17th century that its reconstruction began: the choir was started in 1683 under the impulse of parish priests Jacques de la Fresnoye and Jacques Chaumoret, while the nave, financed by parishioners, saw its first stone laid in 1735. The work was completed in 1776 under the parish priest François Claude Bureau.

The French Revolution marked a turning point: François Claude Bureau, deported to Cayenne, escaped his fate thanks to an English capture and ended in England. The church, transformed into a meeting place by the People's Society, survives despite the disappearance of its furniture. After the 1801 agreement, Bureau returned to France and restored the building, damaged during the looting of Sens in 1814. In the 19th century, a chapel dedicated to Saint Mathie was installed, and a statue of the holy throne soon on the high altar, leading to its change of dedication.

The church, of sober style with a naf-halle, preserves 18th and 19th century furniture. It is listed as a historic monument in 1966 and remains active, welcoming Latin Masses and visits. A plaque commemorates the passage of Joan of Arc in 1429, adding a symbolic dimension to her history.

Today, the Church of St. Mary depends on the Cathedral of Sens. Its bell tower, always surmounted by a cross despite the troubled periods, bears witness to its resilience. The Dominican offices in Latin and the regular openings make it a living place of worship and heritage, anchored in the religious and urban history of Sens.

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