Attractions and Places To See around Rouvray-Sainte-Croix - Top 5

We might believe it to be a classic viaduct when we pass under this construction but it is ultimately an 18km long track, built in 1968 to carry out experiments on monorail transport, the skytrain of the French engineer Jean Bertin. A prototype set a world speed record there in 1974, with 430.4 km/h on the clock. Due to a lack of investors or customers, the tests were stopped in 1977 and the track was decommissioned. Its dismantling being estimated at 13 million euros, the viaduct remained there, in the middle of the Beauceron countryside.

The Saint André church (13th-15th-16th centuries) In the 7th century, the Benedictine abbey of Bonneval created a priory-curate. Its existence is confirmed by a bull from Pope Gregory second half of the 16th century. In 1793 the church was desecrated and transformed into wine and spirits warehouses. In 1801, the church was returned to worship and changed diocese: from the diocese of Chartres, to which it belonged before the Revolution, it passed to the diocese of Orléans, notably for reasons of distance: Chartres is 48 km from Patay then that Orléans is only 27 km away. The church is 30 m long and 17 m wide. The oldest parts are located near the large porch (13th century). One of the pillars of the nave is decorated with a vestige of Danse Macabre from the mid-15th century. A small masonry door on the right communicated with the old priory, of which ruins remain to the south of the church. The choir dates from the 14th century; the apse wall was decorated with paintings at the end of the 19th century, the chapels were then redeveloped and equipped with new stained glass windows. The keystones of the large nave were made from casts taken from the figurines which adorn the Thesis Room of the University of Orléans, built in 1411. The bell tower, located to the north of the choir, would be an old watchtower. Its pinnacles and eight openings were made after the Wars of Religion. The four bells were melted in 1868. The largest was cracked by a Prussian shell in 1870 and was recast in 1871. Since that year, Ernestine (809 kg, 1 m 12 in diameter at the base, sounding the F), Gabrielle (550 kg, 0.981 m in diameter, sounding the ground), Anne (398 kg, 0.573 m in diameter) and Marie (222 kg, 0.724 m in diameter, sounding the C) give rhythm to the daily life of the small town of Patay, old Beauceron railway junction. On August 15, 1944, an ammunition train was blown up at Patay station. The station was blown up, except for the carriage shed, and all the windows in the town were shattered. Luckily, a providential storm limited the damage. The only two stained glass windows that survived the explosion are those on the right side aisle which date from 1930 and relate the communion of Joan of Arc in the Patay church in 1429. The church was listed as a Historic Monument in 1925 by decree of October 6, 1925.

The first church, dating from the 13th century, was partly demolished and remodeled several times over the centuries. Placed under the name of the Most Holy Trinity, it took its current form at the end of the 15th century, but was most certainly rebuilt in the 19th century. Extensive renovation work was undertaken at the start of the 21st century.

If you are looking for a unique and historic hiking destination in the Loiret, you can visit the Moulin d'Artenay, a stone windmill dating from 1849. This impressive monument, which stands 16 meters high high and has wings 22 meters long, is one of the rare examples of this type in the Beauce region. You can visit the interior of the mill and discover its machinery, its production of fine flour and the life of the millers. You can also admire a collection of old agricultural equipment at the neighboring farm. The Moulin d'Artenay is open to the public every third Sunday of the month from April to September, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Don't miss this opportunity to discover an element of local heritage.

The Moulin de Lignerolles is one of the last pivotal windmills in the Loiret department. Built in 1848, this wooden mill belonged to Louis-Joseph Soulas, famous painter and director of the Orléans School of Fine Arts. You can admire the restored mill and its ingenious mechanism, as well as the panoramic view of the plain. The mill is open to the public on Sundays from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., and also hosts various events throughout the year, such as a flea market, concerts and exhibitions. Visiting the Moulin de Lignerolles is an excellent way to discover the heritage and charm of the Beauceron countryside.