Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The porte du manoir de Longuil-Sainte-Marie, classified as a Historical Monument in 1949, is a rare 16th century vestige in the commune. It comes from the old castle of Longeuil, whose fortifications were largely demolished in 1750 to be converted into a farm. This castle, owned by Saint-Corneille Abbey of Compiègne, played a strategic role during the Hundred Years' War, housing a local garrison led by figures such as Guillaume Allaud and the Grand Ferré, a popular hero who repulsed the English in 1358.

The castle of Longeuil, originally built to protect the vassals and possessions of the abbey, was repeatedly occupied by the English, notably in 1420 and during the siege of Compiègne in 1430. After partial demolition ordered by Charles VII in 1431, its ruins served as foundations for agricultural buildings. The 19th century excavations revealed luxurious remains, such as marbles, gilding and mosaics, attesting to a prestigious past linked to Charlemagne and Louis the Debonnaire, who stayed there.

The fortified gate, located in Charles de Gaulle Square next to the church of Saint Martin, today symbolizes this medieval heritage. It also recalls the historical importance of Longuil-Sainte-Marie, a rural commune marked by its subsequent industrial activity (sucreries, starch shops) and its modern economic development, notably with the logistics zone ZAC Paris-Oise and its river port, inaugurated in 2015.

The site is inseparable from local legends, such as that of the Grand Ferré, whose bronze monument, erected in 1889, celebrates the resistance of the peasants to the invaders. These accounts, mixed with archaeological remains (such as the Neolithic site of the Butte de Ruis III), highlight the historical richness of this land, situated between the Oise and the forests of Compiègnois.

External links