Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The fourteen armorial terminals of Gazeran are sandstone blocks of Fontainebleau, typical of the francilian geological basin. They are planted in forest or edge, with nearly half of their buried volume. Most have two sculpted faces: one with the guns of the Prunele (from mouths to six ringlets of gold), the other with those of the Chapter of Chartres (d These pillars marked the boundaries between the seigneury of Gazeran, possession of the Prunelay family, and the priestess of Malmaison, land of the Chartres Chapter under the Old Regime.

The network of terminals extends to the southwest of Rambouillet, delimiting territories corresponding today to the municipalities of Emancé and Saint-Hilarion (including the former place called du Fleau). Their laying took place between the 15th and 17th centuries, mainly in response to border conflicts. Terminals 1 to 7 are in the wood of the Pommeraie in Gazeran, the n°8–9 in front of the town hall of Emancé, and the n°10–14 near that of Saint-Hilarion. They were protected by order of 16 August 2024 as historical monuments.

These pillars illustrate the tensions between secular and ecclesiastical lords for the control of lands and forest resources. Their route is between the disputed areas, reflecting a gradual occupation of the land. The carved weapons symbolize the authority shared between the local nobility (Pruné) and the Church (Charter Chapter), two dominant powers in Île-de-France in modern times. Their material, sandstone, and sober style bear witness to medieval and classical boundary practices.

Today, these boundaries are divided between communal properties (Emancé, Saint-Hilarion) and state properties (State), without systematic access to the public. Their exact location remains approximate (map precision noted 5/10), but their recent listing as historical monuments guarantees its preservation. They are a rare testimony of the seigneurial demarcations in Rambouillet forest, a long disputed space between political and religious actors.

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