Saint-Honest church, Church in the center of Yerres, France

The église Saint-Honest is a parish church in the center of Yerres, in the Essonne department, set on a pedestrian square near the Yerres river. Its facade features warm tones and a clock, while the rear is plain stone; inside, visitors find a gilded wood pulpit from the Louis XV period, an altarpiece, a painting, and an organ.

The church may date to the 11th or 12th century; some sources say it already existed in 1160, when Hildegarde, first abbess of the Abbey of Yerres, is said to have founded a chapel for locals. The choir survives from the 12th century, the bell tower dates to the 13th, and in the 1640s architect Jean Thiriot began 17th-century alterations that replaced the old side bell tower and added three chapels. The rest was rebuilt in neoclassical style in the 19th century by architect Albert Ballu.

The church is named after Saint Honest, a 3rd-century martyr. On 27 April 1526 his relics were transferred here from the Basilica of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse. Inside, the gilded wood pulpit of Louis XV style came from the abbey church destroyed during the Revolution.

The church sits right on the main pedestrian square of Yerres and is easy to reach on foot. Those wishing to visit the interior should check opening times in advance, as they may vary depending on services and the time of year.

The church bell, called Charlotte, dates to 1687 and is the oldest known bell in the village, named after a local abbess. During restoration work in 2005, a crypt was found beneath a chapel dedicated to the Virgin, containing the remains of a local notable who died in 1784.