Église Sainte-Anne-de-Gassicourt, Mantes-la-Jolie

Sainte-Anne de Gassicourt Church is a Romanesque Catholic parish church located in Mantes-la-Jolie, France. It is not the first church in this place. In 1074, a priory was founded near the primitive church. In 1075, this priory is given to the order of Cluny, and dedicated to Saint Sulpice. From the beginning of the 12th century, the monks built a new church in the Norman Romanesque style. It has a basilica plan and is characterized by an austere style. The nave of five bays remains very authentic, and is characterized by its two rows of four isolated columns with archaic capitals. Towards the end of the reign of St. Louis, the monks had the transept and the choir rebuilt in the radiant gothic style, with new vaults and large windows with delicate networks. They were predestined to receive stained glass windows, and these have been largely preserved. The three narrative windows with their numerous medallions, and the two hagiographic windows with their eight effigies of saints are one of the main treasures of the church today. Another treasure is the set of thirty-two flamboyant Gothic stalls from the end of the 15th century, with matching liturgical fences. If the upper parts of the cheeks are missing, the bas-reliefs on their lower parts, the misericords and the handstands are generally well preserved, and are of great interest both for their iconography and for the quality of the sculpture. The priory was dissolved well before the French Revolution, in 1738. The church of Sainte-Anne was completely restored between 1855 and 1876, and classified as a historical monument in 1862. Restored again following the bombings of 1944, it is today in good condition, and remains at the center of the spiritual life of one of the parishes in the city of Mantes-la-Jolie. Sunday masses are celebrated there every Saturday evening.