Franqueville
Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Franqueville
Where to find this church
Church Information
Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste is located in Franqueville, a small village with 111 inhabitants about 9 km south-west of the town of Vervins in the Département Aisne in the région Hauts-de-France.
A key is available from the mayor (see link below)
* denotes external links that open in a new window
Visiting Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste
When we visited at the end of October 2022, the Saint-Jean Baptiste church was undergoing renovation work on the main portal, which still dates from the original Romanesque church, as well as the white stone bell tower and the walls of the nave. Traces of old windows can still be seen in these.
The church was not fortified until 1678, as indicated by the date on the gable with glazed bricks. The fortification mainly concerned the choir and transept, which were built of bricks. Various massive buttresses were added here. In addition, some embrasures can still be seen.
In the absence of a keep or defensive towers, the bell tower built at the intersection of the transepts also served as an escape room; this could be reached via an outside ladder. The window bays were partly reduced in size with rubble and bricks to provide better protection.
The church is locked, but you can get a key from the mayor by appointment (see tourism page, link above).