Étampes - Notre-Dame-du-Fort

Since the times of Hugh Capet, the first King of the Franks of the House of Capet, Étampes was an important place. It was a crown domain between Paris and Orleans. Hugh´s son Robert II (aka "Robert the Pious") built a stronghold here and founded a collegiate here in the 11th century.

The former collegiate church Notre-Dame-du-Fort was erected within the 12th century in (traditional) Romanesque and (modern) Gothic style. Only the crypt dates back to the earlier 10th century-church. Here the relics of the martyrs Cantius, Cantianus, and Cantianilla were kept. The popular saints were orphaned siblings beheaded during Diocletian's persecution. "Robert the Pious" had transferred the relics to Étampes from Milano.

Since the 19th century Notre-Dame-du-Fort serves the parish. In 1562, during the first War of Religions, the Calvinist troops raided, ransacked and vandalized the church. Whatever was spared outside the church, it got smashed during the French Revolution.

The crypt is the oldest part of Notre-Dame-du-Fort, as this goes back to the church of the early 11th century, commissioned by Robert the Pious. This is a "hall crypt", with six pillars and a little apse. Obviously this capital, near to the stairs, got lost and the plaster was a perfect place to carve in graffiti.