The church of Saint-Théodulphe in Gronard is considerably smaller than its immediate neighbours in Prisces and Burelles. Nevertheless, it is no less fascinating and attractive.

A first church in this typical Thiérache village overlooking the Brunetal must have been built as early as the 11th century. This is indicated by the four columns in the square of the transept, which are still there today.

A very short choir and transept were built in white stone in 1537 (the date is carved on an armorial shield on the corner between the choir and the left arm of the transept).

The local community then built a nave and a small keep, both of brick. The keep was flanked by two round towers. The left one contained a spiral staircase, the right one has remains of a chimney in the upper part. In the escape room of the keep is a wooden bell tower made of thick beams. Unfortunately, this part is inaccessible today. Only a few embrasures in the towers and in the nave remain as fortification elements.

The stone portal of the keep has a round arch with concentric mouldings. On the brick walls of the keep and the towers, two horizontal divisions are drawn in white stone.

The church has relics of Saint Thiou, whose unusual name is a contraction of “Theódulphe”. A banner with his name stands at the corner between the nave and the right transept.

His story is as interesting as the church of the same name: born into a peasant family, he became the abbot of the Mont d’Hor monastery near Reims; one day, as he was ramming a ploughshare into the ground, a spring appeared that was said to have miraculous, healing properties. Thiou must have drunk plenty of its water himself, for he lived to be an astonishing 90 years old for the time!