Basilica of Saint Mathurin

It served as the center of the cult of Saint Mathurin and attracted, in particular, pilgrims seeking cures for madness or exorcism for the possessed.

In 1324, it flourished to such an extent that the canons used part of the pilgrims’ offerings to meet the needs of the clerics of Notre-Dame de Paris.

The old route du Midi (road to the south of France) passed near the village and many pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela stopped there to contemplate Mathurin’s relics.

The church suffered numerous vicissitudes over the centuries, including fire and damage inflicted by severe storms as well as by marauding armies.

In October 1567, Guillaume de Beaumont, Chevalier du Boulay (a place near Nemours) snuck into the village at night at the head of 100 armed men and plundered the relics and pillaged the church.

The following year, the Comte de Montgomery burned down the church and the village, causing damage which is visible to this day.

[3]:17Another major disaster occurred on 25 September 1675, with the collapse of the northwest pillar of the great tower, which fell into and destroyed part of the nave.

[3]:16,[6] Various attempts were made to repair this extensive damage, but the great expense entailed by this project meant that progress was slow.

In 1585, the decision was taken to abandon half of the nave in order to cut costs, resulting in the wall, still visible today, that splits the church in two.

In the early 1980s, a new campaign to restore the church was launched, under the impetus of the Cultural Association of Larchant and with the support of State, regional and municipal governments.

The interior was originally lit by two rows of high, wide windows, framed by molded archivolts on small columns.

The polygonal chapel of the Virgin Mary presents high windows adorned with gables which once supported statues.

The presence of ornate pinnacles and gargoyles represents a departure from the sobriety of the early Gothic style that characterizes the apse.

Christ sits on high and in the center, surrounded by four angels carrying thuribles (incense urns), with one also holding the sun and another the moon.

Also visible for someone standing in front of the portal are small bas-reliefs representing the months of the year in terrestrial life.