Église Saint-Maclou, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine

The Saint-Maclou church is a Catholic parish church located in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France. Its oldest parts date back to the second and third quarters of the 12th century. Another thesis suggests an origin of the end of the tenth century, which would corroborate its name "Saint-Maclou" given by the bishop of Paris, suzerain of the place. These are the basilica nave, the base of the central bell tower and some elements of the first bay of the choir. These parts are of late Romanesque style, as shown by the sculpted capitals around the base of the bell tower in particular, as well as the archaic ribbed vault of this same bay. However, the piers flanked by multiple colonnettes, the evolved modenature, the use of ribbed vaults for the eastern parts, and the systematic use of the pointed arch, already announce the Gothic architecture. During the restoration of the church from 1995 onwards, the neo-Gothic plaster and brick vaults in the nave and aisles were removed and the panelled barrel-vaulted ceilings were brought back to life, so that the church of Saint-Maclou now provides a good illustration of the churches of the so-called transition period. From this period, from the second half of the 12th century, also dates the bell tower with its stone spire flanked by four lanterns; it had to be rebuilt identically after being damaged by lightning in 1927. After the supposed creation of the parish of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, at the beginning of the 13th century, the church was enlarged by the addition of two crosses and two side chapels to the north and south of the bell tower and the choir. It was extended to the east, and partly rebuilt after the Hundred Years' War, at the beginning of the 16th century, in the flamboyant Gothic style. On either side of a five-sided apse, small square chapels were added, the southern one being dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and the northern one, first to Saint-Nicolas, patron saint of boatmen, and then, at the beginning of the 19th century, to Sainte-Honorine. This name comes from the priory that was located, until the French Revolution, to the east of the church, on the site of the Musée de la Batellerie, and which may have been the first Christian church in the town. Long neglected, the church of Saint-Maclou was classified as a historical monument by decree of October 18, 1993, and has since benefited from several restoration campaigns. The church of Saint-Maclou is part of the "Secteur paroissial du Confluent", and Sunday masses are celebrated there every Sunday morning.