SAINT-ÉTIENNE-SAINT-VIGOR CHURCH
Visit a church, to admire the medieval priory of Marly-le-Bourg, preserving the bell and observe the transept altars
The church was donated to the united parish of Marly-le-Roi (Saint-Etienne de Marly-le-Bourg and Saint-Vigor de Marly-le-Chastel) by Louis XIV, who commissioned Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Robert de Cotte to design and build it in 1688. The church was consecrated in 1689 under the names of Saint-Vigor and Saint-Etienne, in honor of the patron saints of the town's two original parishes. It boasts a unique architectural style, blending traditional Gothic and classical elements inspired by the precepts of the Counter-Reformation. Louis XIV also played a major role in the church's furnishings, which include the former high altar from the temporary chapel at Versailles (used for his marriage to Madame de Maintenon), framed by two monumental angels by Noël Jouvenet, and decorated with a preaching of St. Vigor by Friedrich Bouterwerk. From the medieval priory of Marly-le-Bourg, it retains the Ave Maria bell dating from 1473. The altars in the transepts recall the story of Saint Thibaut, a native of Marly and famous abbot of Les Vaux de Cernay. The Musée du Domaine Royal de Marly also houses several of the paintings and liturgical objects that Louis XIV endowed the church with.
From 2015 to 2018, the town carried out restoration work on the edifice, which resulted in an overall renovation of the building, while restoring the church to its original appearance.
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