The church dedicated to Saint Éloi was built around 1570. It was Jean-Jacques de Mesmes, lord of the village, who commissioned it. This lord was renowned for his Christianity. A true jewel of the Renaissance, it would be the work of Nicolas de Saint Michel. This church has been listed as a historical monument since September 12, 1942.
The interior ornamentation of the choir of the church refers to the rich style of the façade of the Louvre by Pierre Lescot. It was the seat of a priory attached to the parish of Sainte Geneviève de Paris. Take the time to visit this church, you will be pleasantly surprised. A first religious building in Roissy dates back to the beginning of the XNUMXth century. The nave would be built on an old chapel.
To find out more, a resident of Roissy tells you:
In English:
“Here is the church of Saint-Eloi. Its priest, also a great lover of local heritage, is unbeatable on this building.
According to him, a first building was built in the 19th century as for this church, it dates from the 1942th century. It was then restored in the XNUMXth century. Since XNUMX, the church of Roissy-en-France has been listed as a Historic Monument.
Saint Eloi, to whom the holy place is dedicated, is a historical figure from the XNUMXth century: he was bishop of Noyon but is best known for having been the precious adviser of King Dagobert!
After having contributed to the construction of several religious monuments and numerous works of art, Saint Éloi became the patron saint of goldsmiths, gold beaters, tool makers, locksmiths, blacksmiths and blacksmiths.
But back to the architecture of the building:
Observe its powerful bell tower which surmounts the main facade. Until the first half of the XNUMXth century, people still lived to the rhythm of nature and work in the fields, without the noise of tractors and harvesters. The sound of the bells carried by the wind then quietly marked the hours...
There used to be four bells in the Saint-Éloi church in Roissy. But three were taken down in 1793 at the time of the French Revolution to be melted down and transformed into cannons for the Republican Army.
The only one that still rings here bears the pretty first name of Jeanne-Antoinette. According to tradition, bells are given a name, like human beings.
The church was not spared then during the 1th century. During the 1944st World War, it was used as a dormitory and field hospital. And, during the following war, in August XNUMX, it was hit, without much damage, by shellfire, just a few days before the liberation of the village. Since then, the church of Saint-Éloi has undergone several restoration campaigns which have enabled it to regain all its splendour, to the delight of our parish priest. »
“You are now inside the building. You know I'm a little moved, this is where I got married!
But let’s get back to heritage considerations…
The choir of the church was built in 1574 by Jean-Jacques de Mesmes, then Lord of Roissy.
As you walk through the central nave, notice on your left a XNUMXth century painting, illustrating the multiplication of the loaves, a miracle performed by Jesus; arrived in front of the altar, you also discover on the pillar on the right a wooden Christ dated from the XNUMXth century.
But now enter the choir: Look at the stained glass windows, they date from the end of the 1982th century and were restored in XNUMX by the great glass painters of Chartres.
The medallions of the central stained glass window of the apse notably present different moments in the life of Christ.
On your left in the apse stand the old baptismal fonts from the XNUMXth century. Behind and hanging from the wall are also tombstones; some are also prior to the construction of the building. Note that being buried in a church was a privilege reserved for a few priors and personalities of the parish.
Finally, on the other side, to the right of the choir, you will discover above an altar a wooden statue from the XNUMXth century representing Saint Éloi, to whom this church is dedicated. »
All rights reserved. The texts are written by Henri HOUMAIRE