Église Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais de Bessancourt, Gothic church in Bessancourt, France

The Église Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais is a Gothic church in Bessancourt whose light-beige stone shows weathered yellow patches. A 30-metre bell tower with a dark pyramidal roof rises at the north side of the west facade, which carries a clock in its gable and a carved Flamboyant portal with two doors. The interior has a three-aisled nave of four bays under rib vaults and a choir ending in an apse lit by three tall lancet windows.

The church originated from a grant of land to Maubuisson Abbey in the 13th century, which prompted its construction. Renaissance additions in the 16th century expanded the structure and gave it much of its present appearance.

The church is dedicated to Saints Gervasius and Protasius, whose relic translation is celebrated on 13 December, while the dedication feast falls on the first Sunday of September. The 14th-century choir lancets, restored in 1861 by Eugène Oudinot, depict the two patron saints. A 16th-century wooden baptismal enclosure, formerly a choir screen, survives inside.

The building sits on Grande Rue and is most easily accessed on days when religious services are held. Plan your visit around regular service times if you want to explore the interior.

The large window above the main portal has 19th-century tracery shaped like a fleur-de-lis, the symbol of the French monarchy, meant to recall Blanche of Castile, mother of Louis IX and founder of Maubuisson Abbey. Look for it on the west facade.