The best traffic-free bike rides around Santeuil

Before 528, the village of Saint-Prest was called Saint-Jean-sur-Eure. At that time, the Bishop of Chartres, Ethère, had a building built adjoining the southern flank of the parish church, including a "martyrium" to house the remains of holy martyrs (the legend of Saint-Prest), which were placed in ten sarcophagi. The most honored relics were those of a certain Priscus; following numerous miracles, the parish took the name of Saint-Prest. The current church's crypt is the apse of the 9th-century Carolingian church, which replaced a 6th-century sanctuary. Access to the 12th-century nave, on the west side, is through a beautiful Romanesque portal, carved from beautiful limestone, surmounted by a triple saw-tooth archivolt and framed by two small columns with capitals. On the right, a face would be that of Eve, and on the left would appear the tempting serpent.

Unfortunately, the church was not accessible when I visited (mid-September 2024). You could only look in through a gate and the dance of death depictions on the left side were not really visible. In front of them were transparencies with skeleton drawings. Maybe those were the depictions...

The Saint-Germain de Morancez church could date from the 10th century. Its cut stone facade is punctuated by four buttresses framing a portal. This is composed of three concentric arches resting on engaged columns, decorated with capitals. The zigzag decoration of the arches confirms a dating before the 12th century. The occulus surmounting the porch illuminates a semi-circular vaulted nave. This was enlarged with an aisle built much later and where there is an altar dedicated to the Virgin. The furniture remains simple but not without interest with its benches enclosed in painted wood. However, it is worth mentioning a sculpted pulpit from the 18th century. In 1707, the prior-parish priest of Morancez was Nicolas Courvoisier, religious of the Saint-Jean-en-Vallée abbey. A poet, he is notably the author of a Latin ode addressed to the people of Chartres on the death of Paul de Godet des Marais1. He died on May 14, 1742 in Morancez and was buried in the church. (his tombstone remains to be identified.) Although Morancez was a modest parish, in 1851 it benefited from a prestigious gift from Jérôme Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon I, governor of Les Invalides, then in residence at the Château de Gourdez. He offered the church a painting, Moses makes water flow from the rock, painted by Giovanni Francesco Romanelli between 1657 and 1660. This Italian artist had been called to decorate the cabinet called "At the water's edge" of the apartment of Queen Anne of Austria at the Louvre. He created a decor, now dismembered, composed of a set of six paintings devoted to the story of Moses, including the work, classified as a Historic Monument, preserved in our church. Another interesting work which could be attributed to the school of Philippe de Champaigne represents Jesus among the doctors. These two paintings benefited from a restoration in 1998

it's a route with very few vehicles so you can relax more to have fun

Coming from Berchères la Maingot, Place Pasteur, the farm is on the left, you have to enter the courtyard, and it is again on the left.

Bench, greenery, river and shade for a bite to eat or a break.

Very beautiful church and the public toilets next to it are perfect, even for filling water bottles too large for the classic sinks.

Composed of a Romanesque nave with flat buttresses placed symmetrically on each side (typical of the end of the 11th century or the first half of the 12th century), it was completely remodeled in the 16th century and the end of the 20th century. The bays of the nave are from the 15th century, in flamboyant Gothic style, as is the rose window. The span of the bell tower and the choir, with ribbed vaults, date from the end of the 15th or beginning of the 16th century. As early as the 16th century, the bell tower had a clock, quite rare and expensive for the time. The pillars of the central bay are richly molded and crowned with thin bands of foliage serving as capitals. The windows are decorated with flamboyant tracery of varied designs. The Romanesque portal was also remodeled in the 16th century. The powerful central bell tower with buttresses [formerly had three bells named PIC DAN JON. There will only be one left after the Revolution, the other two having been melted down to make cannons and ammunition.