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.

[9] Starting in 1324, the pilgrimage was flourishing to such an extent that it generated funds that were used to finance the operation of Notre Dame de Paris (which had received Larchant as donation from Elisabeth Le Riche in the early 11th century).

The structure has suffered numerous vicissitudes over the ages, including pillage and arson during the War of Religions, and several natural disasters.

It was the base from which the canons of the 'chapitre' of Notre Dame de Paris looked after their economic interests in Larchant, after receiving the village as a donation in the 11th century.

According to tradition, Mathurin was a shepherd and, in order to provide water for his flock, he brought forth a spring by kicking a rock which still bears the imprint of his foot.

Dated to at least the 12 century (and possibly much earlier), the base of the Calvaire takes the form of an octagonal pyramid with 8 faces and 7 levels.

[12] The Calvary is located on the outskirts of the village, just off the road to the Dame Jouanne Larchant benefits from a rich natural heritage, including biologically significant wetlands and the Fontainebleau forest.

The Larchant Wetlands Nature Preserve (la Réserve Naturelle Régionale du Marais de Larchant) covers about 124 hectares (306 acres) and supports an exceptional level of biodiversity — 480 plant species and 145 species of beetle have been identified in the reserve.

Particularly in the area around Larchant, the forest is known for its very pure and fine sand and for its striking, zoomorphic boulders in sandstone (grès de Fontainebleau).

[16] In her 1980 novel The Boy Who Followed Ripley, Patricia Highsmith described the town as a "quiet village" where "[t]he little private houses, all close together in cobble-stoned lanes, looked like illustrations from children's books, cottages almost too small for man and wife to live in".