The Carré Saint-Cyr

Situated on the old road that linked Louviers to Saint-Cyr, the parish church, like the village, is dedicated to this saint, who was martyred in Tarsus, Syria, at the end of the 3rd century whilst he was still a child.

This saint is invoked for childhood illnesses and is often depicted holding a saw (a play on the sound of his name). He is therefore the patron saint of sawyers.

Although dating from the 16th century, the church has been altered several times: its nave was restored in 1783; however, most of the alterations took place between 1869 and 1874.

During the renovation, that took place between March 2021 and April 2023, archaeological excavations uncovered three 8th-century sarcophagi (from the Merovingian period). Two of which were made of plaster and one of wood. Following analysis, they were returned to their original locations.

Originally, the village comprised two parishes, Saint-Cyr and Notre-Dame, which were arbitrarily divided into two municipalities during the Revolution and reunited in 1969 when the new town of Val-de-Reuil was built.

Saint-Cyr Church was deconsecrated in 2000. As it was no longer a place of worship and served for a time as a warehouse for the Secours Catholique, the Seine-Eure municipality suggested turning the building into a ‘centre of excellence for the arts and crafts’.

Its restoration and the development of its surroundings were overseen by Cécile Fort of tmf architectes associés in Rouen and Benoît Maffre of BMAP – Architecte du patrimoine, who have transformed this inspiring place into a true source of inspiration.

The decision was taken to preserve the church’s external appearance. The bells are ringing once more, and the Rooster has been returned to its place. Restoration and gilding work were carried out by Sylvie Dupont, a ‘Meilleur Ouvrier de France’ (MOF) from Louviers (skills-based sponsorship).

The interior was to be entirely secular, with a minimalist design, in order to create a fitting showcase for the works on display for sale. Only the holy water font at the entrance to the building and a few murals were retained and restored. The wall motifs, comprising three distinct designs, were restored by Laurence Natier.

The church contained 19th-century statues made of painted plaster in the ‘Saint-Sulpice’ style, and stained-glass windows dating from the second half of the 20th century, featuring figurative motifs, which were made in Paris based on designs by Martineau or Potet.

The remarkable sculptures and pews have been moved to the Church of Notre Dame du Vaudreuil (12th century – Late Romanesque period), which is listed as a historic monument. The stained-glass windows, originally crafted by the Perrot workshops in Paris, have been removed and now adorn the churches at La Haye-le-Comte, Saint-Pierre-sous-Bailleul and, shortly, Porte-de-Seine and Andé.

The Carré Saint-Cyr and the adjacent Ateliers Saint-Cyr* were officially opened on 11 May 2023.

*Ateliers Saint-Cyr are not accessible to the public

Bibliography and acknowledgements to

• Yvette Petit-Decroix
• *Le Vaudreuil, un village normand*, 2017 (a norman village)
• Amis de Notre-Dame du Vaudreuil - Société d'Etudes Diverses de Louviers et sa Région – Commune du Vaudreuil (Friends of Notre-Dame du Vaudreuil – Society for Miscellaneous Studies of Louviers and its Region – The Municipality of Le Vaudreuil)
• BMAP - Architectes du patrimoine (BMAP – Heritage Architects)