The best running trails around Neaufles-Saint-Martin

GOOD …

excellent greenway, well maintained.

A military fortress with a defensive purpose, built in 1097, during the reign of William the Conqueror's second son, Gisors Castle marks a major page in the medieval history of Normandy. This fortification was intended to protect the Norman possessions of the King of England against the ambitions of the King of France. A true border place and eastern lock of Normandy, it was part of a vast campaign of fortifications in the Epte Valley, the natural boundary between the two kingdoms.

We know of Saints Gervais and Protais that they were Christian martyrs in the 2nd century in Milan. At the time, the Roman Empire forced all its subjects to worship the emperor, which was unacceptable to Christians. If they refused, they were crucified or sent to the arena to be devoured by lions between gladiatorial fights. Thus, Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan, found them, in 386, buried side by side. This great bishop affirmed that they had been martyrs by fidelity to their baptism. He even added "They are of a prodigious size, such as one was in ancient times." Their cult reached Gaul where a large number of churches were dedicated to them.

The parish church of Saint-Gervais Saint-Protais was consecrated in 1119 by Pope Calixtus 11. This Romanesque church saw its nave ravaged by fire in 1123. It was rebuilt in 1160. Thanks to funding from Queen Blanche of Castile, the people of Gisors built a Gothic choir, consecrated in 1249. It was built according to the Chartres model, common at the time in Ile-de-France, with a three-level elevation: large arcades, triforium and high windows pierced with oculi. Thanks to funding from charitable brotherhoods and trade corporations, the church underwent multiple transformations from the end of the 15th century with the addition of radiating chapels and an ambulatory at choir level. Entrusted to the Grappins, a family of architects from Vexin, the work continued in the 15th century with the reconstruction of the nave and the chapels of the side aisles in flamboyant Gothic style, then of the façade decorated with Renaissance motifs.

Built on a feudal mound, these ruins are those of the castle founded in 1097. It was one of the ducal castles controlling the Epte River, which then marked the border between Normandy and the Kingdom of France. Given its location, which makes it visible for miles around and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding area, the strategic importance of this position is easily understood. It is currently undergoing major restoration work supported by the Heritage Foundation with the aim of one day making the site accessible to the general public. The road runs around the ramparts.

Old fortified castle, built between the end of the 11th and the 12th century, today in ruins.

Current natural border between Île-de-France and Normandy, Epte is also a historical border. Indeed, in the Middle Ages, it was the boundary between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Normandy. This is why it had a large number of fortifications. Here, precisely in Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, the treaty was signed in 911 between Charles III the Simple and Rollo, Viking leader, aimed at establishing the Normans in Neustria in order to protect the kingdom of Charles III from their incursions by sea This treaty gave birth to the Duchy of Normandy.