Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Saint-Denis Church of Briis-sous-Forges dans l'Essonne

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine religieux
Eglise romane et gothique
Essonne

Saint-Denis Church of Briis-sous-Forges

    1-3 Place du Poutil
    91640 Briis-sous-Forges
Saint-Denis Church of Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Église Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges
Crédit photo : Véronique PAGNIER - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1200
1300
1700
1800
1900
2000
XIe et XIIe siècles
Construction of church
XVIIe siècle
Reshaping the nave
1er mars 1958
First entry MH
18 avril 2019
New MH registration
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Remains of the porch with two capitals and the archvolt; bell tower, apse and two chapels in the north: inscription by order of 1 March 1958; The church of Saint-Denis, in its entirety, as delimited by a red border on the plan annexed to the decree (Box F02 449): inscription by order of 18 April 2019

Key figures

Moines de l'abbaye de Saint-Denis - Founders and builders Builders of the church in the 11th-XIIth centuries.
Seigneur local (XVIIe siècle) - Sponsor of work Initiator of reshuffles and Protestant worship.
Robert de Biis - Blessed Priest Statue preserved in the church.

Origin and history

Saint-Denis de Briis-sous-Forges is a Catholic parish church dedicated to Saint Denis, located in the Essonne department, Île-de-France. It was built in the 11th and 12th centuries by the monks of Saint-Denis Abbey, marking an architectural transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles. Its square bell tower, 39 meters high according to some sources or 28.5 meters according to others, is one of the oldest elements, just like the choir. The building has undergone many modifications over the centuries, notably in the 17th century, where the nave was partially rebuilt, and in the 19th century, where additional work was done.

The church houses a 17th century baroque high altar and a statue of Blessed priest Robert de Biis, victim of the September massacres. The south porch preserves a Romanesque portal adorned with an archvolt carved of saw tooth and capitals decorated with masks. The northern chapels of the choir, covered with warhead crosses, present traces of ancient murals, including a praying figure. The building was listed as historic monuments by order of March 1, 1958, and a new global inscription was issued on April 18, 2019.

The church experienced a period of Protestant worship in the 17th century, under the impetus of the local lord. Today, it belongs to the commune of Briis-sous-Forges and remains a major architectural and historical testimony of the region. Its bell tower, built outside the building, ends with four gables with a double-built roof, a characteristic rare in the area.

External links