Saints-Ruffin-et-Valère church of Bézu-le-Guéry dans l'Aisne

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Origin and history

The church of Saints-Ruffin-et-Valère is located in the commune of Bézu-le-Guéry, in the department of Aisne, in the Hauts-de-France region. This rural village, isolated from the main lines of communication but close to the A4 motorway, is marked by land use mainly agricultural (61.6% in 2018) and forestry (38.4%). The town, attested from 1186 under the name Besuacus, derives its present name from Guéry, variant of the name Goëri, bishop of Metz in the 7th century.

Bézu-le-Guéry was once a Viscount whose lords bore this title until the Revolution. The last notable Viscount, the Count of Boisrouvraye, captain of chivalry and representative of the region in the General States of 1789, had to be exiled in 1792 and died in 1800. Its castle of Villers, spared thanks to the presence of the Countess, contrasts with that of Champversy, abandoned and demolished. The village, spared by World War I bombings, was looted and skirmished in 1914 between British and German troops.

The commune, a member of the community of communes in the Canton of Charly-sur-Marne, is now classified as a scattered rural area. It is administratively dependent on the arrondissement of Château-Thierry and the canton of Essômes-sur-Marne. Its local economy is linked to agriculture and viticulture, with the municipality located in the Champagne de Isne appellation area. The church, although little documented in the sources, fits into this historical and rural context.

Local, ocean-type climate, and arable land and forest landscapes have shaped the lives of the people. Old maps, such as that of Cassini (18th century), show a stable occupation of soil, between crops and wooded massifs. The population, of 248 inhabitants in 2023, lives in a preserved environment, away from urban dynamics, but integrated into the Parisian attraction area.

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