Mormant - Office de tourisme du Pays de Langres

Mormant
5 The God House
in Pays de Langres
6 The agricultural field
Today there is 1 m 50 of demolition and agricultar
practices.But at the west of the illness room, there
are situated the old kitchens of the God House with
two rooms, whose the first kept a Gothic ribbed vault
with the coat of arms of Saint Jean of Jerusalem’s
Hospitallers. The second had a ancient fireplace,
disappeared about at the end of the 18th century
when the vault was shattered. Today the second
room is a barn.
The first stairs is a campaign of rehabilitation and
improvements of the God House by the Hospitallers,
from the end of the 15th century. Outside, the walls
of the first stairs have a cornice with a tinsel maker
on the South side. And there are buttresses on the
North side. Inside, there is a stairs with tree little
vaulted cell with the coat of arms of the Hospitallers
and the Bosredon. Also there are a lot of rooms with
fireplace making think of living rooms. One of these
rooms have a mural of the 15th and 16th centuries.
This roome could be used as chapter house.
OFFICE DE TOURISME DU
PAYS DE LANGRES ET DES 4 LACS
BP 16 - 52201 LANGRES Cédex
Tél : 03 25 87 67 67 - Fax : 03 25 87 73 33
E-mail : [email protected]
Internet : www.tourisme-langres.com
At the origin, the agricultural field was
intended to provide for the food of the
community of the Canons, the Brothers
and Sisters, the hostes (pilgrims and the
passers-by) and the illness people.
After the one hundred year old War
(1337-1453), the Hospitallers undertoke
a campaign of rehabilitation and improvements of the Mormant’s site, to
create a huge land field having for aim
to make benefit in aid of Order and his
Commander.
The Commanderie is divided in
two courtyards, surronding by the
high walls fortified and separated
between them : « la Petite cour
(ou basse-cour) » including the
field and the Commander’
residence. « La Grande cour »
where there is the agricultural
field, where the access xas done
by a huge portal (destroyed in
1768). The agricultural field
included the brans and the stables
on the North-West, the abode of
the sharecroppers and the Wood
Guard at the West, the baker’s
oven in the middle of courtyard,
the dovecote between the two
courtyards and the square garden
« Le jardin carré ». There was also
a forge and furnace, a glassfactory
during the 17th century
© Textes : Alain Catherinet / Photos : Angélique Roze
Dessins : Elodie Duplouy - Jean-François Feutriez
There remains building
only the ribbed vaults of
the God House on the
ancient way. Since the
middle of the 12th
century there was the
illness room and the
Saint Nicolas du Lieu
Chapel :
« below the roof were situated the Jesus Christ and
his unwell members and the Poor ».
A village which has to be visited ...
www.tourisme-langres.com
History
The Mormant’God Home was fouded at the first Crusade period (1095-1099) by Hugues Bardoul
II de Broyes-Châteauvillain, lord of Arc-en-Barrois and others places. At the beginning it’s a hospitalchurch below the spirit control of the bishop of Langres. « It’s to receive the pilgrims and to assist the
Poor ».
There are difficulties, from where the chruch autority reformed the rule of the God House, but without success. That’s why in 1300, the Mormant House, was confided to the Templar Order by the Pope Boniface VIII, to restore the material and spiritual life. In 1307 after the arrest of the Templars in all
the Kingdom, the Mormant House was confided to Saint Jean de Jerusalem’s Hospitallers. They left just
at the Revolution period.
During the One hundred year old War (1337-1453), the Hospitallers deserted the site for Leffonds,
but they continued to insure the parish service of Leffond’s Settlers in Mormant. At this period, the
reception and the care to the Poor and the Pilgrims are finished in Mormant.
At the end of the 15th century, the Saint Jean Of Jerusalem’s Hospitallers came back in Mormant
where they rebuilt and made transformation of the buildings. The whole of the site is fortified by the
ramparts with the abbey palace which was the Strong House. The huge church was built outside, which
was used as parish church for the Leffond’s Setllers until 1514. The whole of site was a huge agricultural
center such as the Malte Order.
The Mormant’s House was weaken by the Troubles in 16th and 17th centuries. The buildings are destroyed and there were sold below the Revolution as National possession.
In spite of these events, the Mormant’s site withe its two buildings of origin, is today one of the
most famous sites of the history of the hospiatls of way in
*
MORMANT : comes from Latin MOLLIMENTUM = softening, relief
Geographical situation
5
4
Situated along the important ancient way of Antiquity, in the Middle Ages, the Mormant’s God
House is remote on the thick chalky slab (about 160 million years).
Because of the situation on this arid and dry slab (about 40 to 50m thick), Mormant has got a water
issue.
5
3
1
2
1 - The God House
2 - Ste-Marie church and the
Commander‘s Cellar
3 - The castle
4 - The Refectory hostelry
and the Canonial Abode
5 - The ramparts
of the ramparts a abbey house at the top on two cellars. It deals with a great Strong House with a
huge squared tower, and with gutters of fire.
In this Lordly House, Pierre de Bosredon makes append on the fireplace and on the guard room
the coat of arms of his descendants and also those of his ancestors : the Estansannes.
This house was a symbol of the lordly power of Pierre de Bosredon. But this building was destroyed in the first middle of the 19th century because of the lack of maintenance.
3 Ste-Marie Church
BATHONIEN HIGHER, AVERAGE AND LOWER
LIMESTONE WITH RHYNCHONELLA DECORATA
SCHEMA OF MORMANT’S WATER TANK
HIGHER BAJOCIAN
OOLITIC AND MARLY LIMESTONES
LOWER AND AVERAGE BAJOCIAN
LIMESTONES WITH POLYPIERS
LOWER TOARCIAN
MARLS, CLAYS AND SCHISTS PAPERBOARD
DOMARIEN HIGHER
LIKINGS MEDIOLIASIC
1 The Refectory Hostellery and The Canonial Abode
The huge building such as the God House has been useful as hospital
for the illness people and hostellery for the travellers and pilgrims(in
1095-1099), before the building of the God House (middle of 12th
century), intends to remote the illness people to the travellers, with
an aim to have hygiene.
There is a ground floor with two arched naves. The north side is enlightened by five windows and free doors.
The third door on the right opened on the missing stairs, which went
up on the floor, constitued by the huge living rooms enlightened by
five windows in the north side and as much in the south side.
After the one hundred year old War (1337-1453), the building was transformed in the huge
stables for the horses of the Commander’s hostes.
Sold as National Possession after the Revolution period, it has been useful as Agricultural building.
In spite of these damage, the building is an important testimony of the first roman art in the
Langres area.
2 The Lordly Houseland the catsle"
At the occasion of the transformation of the Commanderie in a huge
agricultural property (at the end of the 15th century and at the
beginning of the 16th century), Pierre de Bosredon makes build inside
Toward the middle of the 12th century, the building of God House
sheltered the illness room and the Saint Nicolas du Lieu Chapel, with
outlying cemetery.
After the one hundred year old War (1337-1453), a huge campaign of
rehabilitation and improvements of the site will convert the old God
House in storeroom. About 1500, Pierre de Bosredon makes built a
huge Sainte Marie Church with two Chapels (Saint Marcoul Chapel
and Saint Antoine Chapel) on the roman way.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the huge church of Mormant
lost its nave in 1788. Only the choir is present until the Revolution period. But after it was a National Possession : the choir was destroyed to become a quarry leaving the numerous of relics on the
site.
4 Commander’s Cellar
Died in Mormant on the 15th of July in 1513, Pierre de Bosredon, commander of La Romagne,
Robécourt, Pontaubert, Bure, Bellecroix, Epailly, St-Jean-le-Vieux, Castres, Nancy, Avalleur, Beaune, Normiers, Uncy, Arbuny, Thors et Mormant, and also Great Prior of Champagne from
1511,was buried in a cellar situated in the middle of the choirof the new church of Mormant
which he makes built.
Consecration of the
inhabitants in old french
dating in 1871
« Ce dict tombeau fut restauré l'an mil huit cent
soixante et onze par les
soins de Charles Lhuillier de
Mormand et de Mme
Lhuillier son épouse.
A. Monnot »
On the site of a pieta
similar to that opposite, but unfortunately
missing today.
Writing in old
french carved on
the tumular y stone
and dating in 1506
« A été le tombeau de Frère
Pierre de Bosredon qui fut
fait l'an mil cinq cens six,
Commandeur de Morment
Pont-Haubert. »
Coat of arms of Pierre de Bosredon
Born in 1424, he was an adviser and chamberlain of Louis XI and Charles VIII. Chevalier de
Rhodes, he was a commander of a lot of sites whose la Romagne, Robecourt, Pantaubert,
Bure, and Mormant from 1485 to 1513. This monk knight received Mormant "in reward » at
his return of Rhodes. Great Prior of Champagne in 1511, he maked built the Mormant Castle
and a part of the church. He maked fortified the site, and develop the cellars for the monks.
When he died on the 15th of July in 1513, he was buried in his Mausoleum below the choir of
Mormant’s Church.