Saint-Sulpice Church, Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières

The Saint-Sulpice church is a Catholic parish church, dedicated to Saint Sulpice the Pious, bishop of Bourges. It is located in the French commune of Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières, in the Essonne department, in Île-de-France.

Every traveler notices the striking disproportion between the size of the village, which has always been modest, and the splendor and dimensions of the church. This can only be explained by its vocation as a pilgrimage church, one of the most important in the diocese of Paris, of which the parish was a part, and by the impulse of the royal power, knowing that the pilgrimage was favored by Saint Louis.

Built during the last years of his life, and not completed at his death, the church is one of the main radiating Gothic buildings of the region, and its architect was familiar with the great royal building sites of his time. However, work stopped before the end of the 13th century, and when it resumed in the following century, it was only to build the western façade: the nave remained unfinished, or was partially destroyed during the Wars of Religion. The plan of the church is simple, without transept or ambulatory, but the architecture is very elaborate, avoiding as much as possible the solid walls, substituting them with vast glass windows, or plated arcatures. The side aisles exceed a height of 11 m under vaults, they are alone higher than many rural churches. The choir is particularly slender and luminous, reaching a height of 22.80 m. The thinness of the supports and the beautiful sculpture of the capitals also contribute to the elegance of the church. Its apse with clerestory and windows on three superimposed levels are particularly remarkable.

At the time of its classification as a historical monument, by the list of 1840, the church was almost in ruins. It was restored during the last quarter of the 19th century, and is still the pride of the village and the parish. The church remains a lively place of worship, where masses are celebrated several times a week.