Église Saint-Julien-de-Brioude de Marolles-en-Brie

Marolles-en-Brie

Away from the main roads, in an old Brie village miraculously preserved at the heart of the Val-de-Marne, hides the oldest of the département's churches. Saint-Julien-de-Brioude preserves in the north wall of its nave the masonry of a 9th-century Carolingian chapel, and was rebuilt in the 12th century when monks from the great Parisian priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs settled at Marolles, founding a priory there whose lodging still stands beside the church. Its dedication intrigues: why dedicate a church in the Brie to Julian of Brioude, the young Christian soldier from the Auvergne who, tradition relates, was beheaded around 304 during the persecutions, near Brioude, where his tomb became one of the great pilgrimages of Gaul? The immense reach of this cult in the early Middle Ages, carried by the writings of Gregory of Tours, no doubt explains how his name travelled this far, a sign of the sanctuary's antiquity. Inside, a Romanesque choir, a south apsidal chapel and carved capitals make up a decor rare so close to Paris; the whole has been registered as a historic monument since 1909. The visit naturally continues into the village: seigneurial farm, priory, the springs of the Réveillon. A perfect destination for a stroll for anyone wishing to touch, twenty kilometres from Notre-Dame, the Romanesque France of the countryside.

Getting there : 2 rue Pierre Bezançon, 94440 Marolles-en-Brie; parish church open during services, guided tours on the Journées du patrimoine (Heritage Days) or through Explore Paris; exterior and former priory freely visible in the old village.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound