Juziers - Saint-Michel

Liutgarde of Vermandois, daughter of (Carolingian) Herbert II, widow of William I of Normandy (aka "William Longsword", "Guillaume Longue-Épée") and spouse of Theobald I (aka "Theobald the Trickster", "Thibaud le Tricheur"), donated her property at Gesiacum (= Juziers) including the existing church to the Abbey of Saint-Pierre in Chartres in 978. Soon after Comtesse Luitgarde died and the monks established a priory here.

Within the 11th century the nave of Saint-Michel got erected. The choir got added about a century later.

During the Wars of Religion the buildings burnt down, but a rebuilding process started again. It started to crumble again. After the Revolution the priory did not exist any longer. For a while the church was used as an "atelier de salpêtre", what meant high explosives were stored and handled here. Some poor restoration had been done in the early years of the 19th century, before Prosper Mérimée added the building to the lists of "Monuments Historiques" in 1850.

The very knowledgeable, friendly lady gave us a great tour and even switched the light on. The five-bay nave and the aisles date back to 1055 and show a Carolingian influence. The clerestory is very high. The vaulting was probably done in the 18th or 19th century.

Standing in the center of the choir, facing back to the entrance. The two arches opening to the transept-arms are uneven since the major repair had to be done after the crossing tower had collapsed within the 18th century.