Discover Champeaux: Collegiate Church, Countryside and Local History

Champeaux brings together sacred architectural history, landscapes and everyday life through the ages. The Collégiale Saint-Martin de Champeaux, the Chapelle Notre-Dame de Roiblay and the history of the washhouse offer different perspectives on the town. The architectural and park history surrounding Aunoy is another subject you can explore during your stay. For planning, it is useful to keep the visiting conditions for each site in mind.

Collégiale Saint-Martin: Architectural History and Interior

The Collégiale Saint-Martin de Champeaux was built from the mid-12th century to the beginning of the 14th century. It is a fortified church. Inside, the 54 choir stalls stand out: Parisian cabinetmaker Falaize made them in 1522. Other features include a remarkable collection of 16th-century stained-glass windows and a collection of tomb slabs made of Liaisk limestone, considered unique in Île-de-France.

The collegiate church is open for free visits every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., or until 6 p.m. in winter, outside service times. Check visiting conditions before your arrival. Guided tours with talks lasting 1.5 hours are available for groups by reservation. Another opportunity comes with the annual Fête de la Musique: for this music festival, the collegiate church offers an illuminated tour with an atmospheric presentation. Visiting options therefore vary by occasion: from an individual visit during opening hours to a reserved group tour or the annual cultural event.

Chapelle Notre-Dame de Roiblay and Walking Routes

The Chapelle Notre-Dame de Roiblay is located in the commune of Champeaux, but belongs to the commune of Saint-Méry and lies on the GR1 long-distance footpath. It was an important pilgrimage site, particularly in the 16th and early 17th centuries. Its setting is shaped by the slope of a hill above the ru d’Ancœur valley, which is designated a protected landscape area.

The Balade à Champeaux also has a specific connection to the network of paths: it goes as far as the junction with the Sentier de la Procession (GR1). The chapel itself is on the GR1; the description of the Balade takes you as far as a junction with this path. If you are interested in religious history and walking routes, these offer two distinct ways of exploring the area without treating them as a single route.

Aunoy: Architecture, Park and Visiting Restrictions

The Domaine d’Aunoy has preserved its original mid-18th-century architecture, as well as part of its English-style park. In April 1986, it was added to the supplementary list of Monuments historiques. The Château d’Aunoy is considered one of the first English-style parks laid out in France and is located south of the village of Champeaux. The private château is visible from the public road, but cannot be visited; entering the grounds is prohibited. Bear this restriction in mind when planning: being visible does not mean a visit is possible.

The Washhouse and Medieval Local History

The history of the public washhouse includes a specific event from 1872: on 20 May, Mayor Hubert Placide ROBICHON drew the municipal council’s attention to its construction. The washhouse consisted of an enclosed, roofed building with a basin, wooden washboards with iron fittings, an entrance courtyard and a laundry room. These individual features give a clear picture of how a public washing facility was laid out.

Another historical connection reaches back to the Middle Ages. Champeaux was the birthplace of Guillaume, founder of the abbey of the Canons Regular of Saint-Victor in Paris in 1113. Together with the architectural history of the collegiate church and the pilgrimage history of the chapel, this biographical detail broadens the picture of the different periods associated with Champeaux.

Discover more destinations: Melun, Cocherel, Vaux-Le-Pénil, Le Mée-Sur-Seine, Touquin, Noisy-Sur-École, Chailly-En-Bière, Carnetin

For the broader travel guide: Seine-Et-Marne.