Villiers-en-Désœuvre: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

Culture

The Ancienne commanderie de Chanu was established in the 12th century as a Templar foundation and later belonged to the Order of the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem. Its chapel dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. The commandery was listed as a Monument historique on 28 December 1990; the chapel was classified as a Monument historique on 16 October 1992.

The Église Saint-Nicolas has a Romantic organ from the 19th century, which was restored between 1994 and 1996. Its construction is said to have begun in 1225 on the foundations of an 11th-century building. The tower is crowned by a wrought-iron fleur-de-lis cross from the 16th century.

The Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle was dedicated to the Virgin Mary on 31 May 1898. It stands on the site of an oratory dedicated in 1519, which in turn followed a 13th-century chapel. The chapel contains three altars symbolically erected for the three départements of Eure, Eure-et-Loir and Yvelines. The tower is the last surviving remnant of a fortified castle built before the year 1000.

The walls of the Église Saint-Pierre de Chanu were renovated in 2002 in accordance with the specifications of the architect of the French heritage authority. The church is located within an enclosure that adjoins and runs parallel to that of the former Commanderie de Chanu to the south.

Trails

The Chemin de Bonne-Nouvelle leads from the chapel via the Fontaine Saint-Martin to the gates of the Commanderie de Chanu. The annual pilgrimage to the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle resumed in 1976, takes place around 15 May, is open to everyone and can be undertaken on foot or by bicycle. The VTT route “Tour de Ferrières” leads as far as Villiers-en-Désœuvre.

The cycling loop “Boucle de Villiers-en-Désœuvre et sérénité champêtre” starts in Villiers-en-Désœuvre and passes through freshly cultivated fields. In the vicinity of Villiers-en-Désœuvre, the circular route “Dans le sillon des agriculteurs” offers an alternative in which, on leaving Bueil station, you take Boulevard de la Gare. Along this circular route, information panels explain how local agriculture has changed over the decades and present the principles of environmental protection.

Those who choose Villiers-en-Désœuvre as a travel destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment there.

Other places: Saint-Etienne-Sous-Bailleul, Boulleville, La Saussaye, Piseux, Hardencourt-Cocherel, Bus-Saint-Rémy, Hauville, Bourgtheroulde-Infreville

For the overview of the broader travel area: Eure.