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Origin and history

Sainte-Anne de Gassicourt Church, located in Mantes-la-Jolie, is a Romanesque religious building founded in the 11th century. In 1074, Raoul IV, Count of Vexin, installed monks near the early church, which was then given to the order of Cluny in 1075 by his son Simon, Count of Mantes. The Benedictine priory dedicated to Saint Sulpice was born, and the monks began to build a new church at the beginning of the 12th century, in an austere Norman Romanesque style.

In the 13th century, during the reign of Saint Louis, the transept and the choir were rebuilt in the radiant Gothic style. The windows are enlarged and have delicate networks, while the vaults are redone. The glass windows, largely preserved, and the thirty-two flamboyant Gothic stalls of the late fifteenth century are among the riches of the building. The priory was dissolved in 1738, well before the French Revolution.

The church underwent several major restorations, notably between 1855 and 1876 under the direction of Alphonse Durand, then after the bombings of 1944. These works kept its authenticity while adapting certain parts, such as the removal of the vaults of the nave to restore its primitive state. Ranked a historic monument in 1862, it remains an active place of worship and an architectural testimony of the Romanesque and Gothic eras.

The western façade, although partially rebuilt, preserves Romanesque elements such as the archvolt of the portal and the oculus, known as the 'wheel of fortune'. Inside, the nave, of five spans, is marked by columns with archaic capitals, while the choir and transept, vaulted with warheads, illustrate the evolution towards the Gothic. The 13th century stained glass windows, representing evangelical and hagiographic scenes, as well as finely carved stalls, make this church a jewel of religious heritage.

The 16th century murals, discovered in the southern crusillon, and classified furniture elements, such as the 13th century baptismal fonts or the lying of a 12th century prelate, further enrich its history. The church, now free from the surrounding buildings, stands as a symbol of the spiritual and historical life of Mantes-la-Jolie.

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