Church of Saint-Maurice

Located in the village of Dimechaux in the Avesnois, the Saint Maurice church dates from the 12th century. From the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries, it underwent a large number of transformations and restorations. At the heart of this Gothic Gothic building is a funerary stone dating from 1317 which contains the burial places of Chevalier Jean de Courtrai and his wife Katherine.

About this building

The Church of Saint Maurice is located in the charming village of Dimechaux, in the Avesnois. The building, which depended on the Abbey of Aulne, dates from the twelfth century and was built to honor the memory of the lords of Kortrijk.

Over time, the Saint Maurice church has undergone several transformations, being remodeled and enlarged in the 15th and 16th centuries, and restored successively in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Currently, the church, built in the shape of a Latin cross, presents Gothic architecture, and is made of a brick and stone compound typical of the region of Avesnois. It includes a nave, a transept and a flat chevet. Its bell tower, located above the facade, ends with a polygonal spire. A projecting construction surrounds the entrance gate, acting as a narthex (vestibule).

Within the building is a funerary stone dating from 1317 and classified as a Historic Monument; it contains the burial places of Chevalier Jean de Courtrai and his wife Katherine. The image of the couple is represented on the stone, surrounded by a still legible epitaph.

The church is under the patronage of Saint Maurice, a martyred officer of the Theban legion who lived in the third century and under whose protection are placed orders of chivalry.

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Monuments

Other nearby buildings

Sauvegarde de l'Art Français
Chapel in a field

Chapel Saint-Julien

The Chapel Saint Julien de Dourlers, in the North, dates from the end of the 15th century. Originally, a hospice was attached to it, welcoming travelers, indigents and pilgrims wishing to sustain themselves or find a refuge for the night. Following a fire that devastated the hospice in 1931, only the Chapel of Saint Julien remains; it is now an essential witness of the history of Dourlers.

Saint-Paul Church, Clairfayts

St Paul's Church in Clairfayts was founded in 1556, on the initiative of the monks of the Abbey of Liessies to which the village belonged. It is a classified Historical Monument since 1920.