Construction of the Romanesque nave XIIe siècle (≈ 1250)
Original nave of the monument, later redesigned.
XVIe siècle
Major renovations
Major renovations XVIe siècle (≈ 1650)
Architectural changes and addition of Renaissance elements.
13 juin 1989
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 13 juin 1989 (≈ 1989)
Protection of the portal by ministerial decree.
1er janvier 2017
Integration in Cloyes-les-Trois-Rivières
Integration in Cloyes-les-Trois-Rivières 1er janvier 2017 (≈ 2017)
Autheuil became a delegated commune.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Henri Mignot-Bozérian (1878-1938) - Deputy of Eure-et-Loir
Died in Autheuil in 1938.
Philippe Muray (1945-2006) - Writer and essayist
Resident parents in Autheuil.
Origin and history
The church Saint-Avit d'Autheuil, located in the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region, is a religious building dating back to the 12th and 16th centuries. It is distinguished by a Romanesque nave of the 12th century, partially remodeled in the 13th and 16th centuries, as well as by an 18th century casserole preceding a Renaissance-style portal. This portal, decorated with pilasters and composite capitals, is one of the most prominent architectural elements of the monument. The church was inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 13 June 1989, in particular for the protection of its portal.
Autheuil, now a commune delegated to Cloyes-les-Trois-Rivières since 2017, was historically attached to the abbey of Saint-Lomer de Blois. This religious bond reflects the spiritual and community importance of the church in the region. The Autheuil toponym, attested as early as 1100 in the Autol form, evokes a high clearing (from the Latin altus and Gaulish ialo), perhaps reflecting the original location of the building in a wooded landscape.
The monument illustrates the architectural and social evolution of rural churches in Eure-et-Loir, where successive changes (like those of the thirteenth, sixteenth and eighteenth centuries) reflect the changing needs of parishes. The box, a covered space for the faithful to discuss before or after the offices, highlights the central role of the church in daily life. Today, the building remains a testimony of local religious and historical heritage, open to the visit and managed by the municipality.
The population of Autheuil, estimated at 197 in 2014, has declined (-15 % since 2009), reflecting the rural dynamics of the region. Despite this, the church of Saint-Avit continues to symbolize the historical and cultural anchor of the village, between medieval memory and reborn heritage.
