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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint Martin de Verneuil-sur-Seine, located in the Yvelines, is a building whose history dates back to the Carolingian era. Archaeological excavations conducted in 2012 revealed five major periods of occupation of the site, including a funerary space used from the Lower Empire in the early Middle Ages, then the remains of a first religious building dated between the 9th and 10th centuries, accompanied by a parish cemetery. The current Romanesque choir was attested as early as 1090, marking the beginning of a series of enlargements that lasted until the 14th century, including the construction of the nave and the lower side.

During the French Revolution, the church was transformed into a Temple of Reason in 1794, reflecting the political upheavals of the time. Ranked a historical monument by decree of 30 December 1930, it was subject to major restorations in 1931, 1962, and then from 2014, the latter including the installation of a floor heating system. Among its remarkable furniture, La Charité de Saint-Martin, a 17th century sculpted group classified in 1960, bears witness to its rich artistic heritage.

A singular element of its history is a perpetual foundation plaque dated 1783, left by a Parisian bourgeois. This will establishes a capital of £12,000 to finance a vicar responsible for teaching children catechism, as well as an annual rent of £600 to provide a virtuous young girl in the parish. The methods of selection, described with precision, evoke the morals and social values of the Ancien Régime, recalling in their minds the new Le Rosier de Madame Husson de Guy de Maupassant (1888).

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