COMMUNES OF THE CANTON OF NOGENT-LE-ROTROU

SAINT-JEAN-PIERRE-FIXTE
The name PETRA FIXA ("put stone") indicates an old raised stone: a prehistoric workshop was discovered close to the old mill of Chéneau. The village crossed by Ronne and Jambette has a curious characteristic: the fountain of the village dedicated to Saint Jean had the reputation to have healing virtues. A pilgrimage brought a crowd of parents who plunged their children there, read a Gospel and deposited an offering. In the 12 th century, the Romanesque church depended on the Saint-Denis abbey. It was restored in the 19th century. At that time, the turn-bell-tower was arranged in presbytery and the Town hall settled there too!

ARGENVILLERS
The name of Argenvilliers in itself testifies to an old tradition of the work of metals in the country. In this commune exist the springs of Berthe and Foussarde. The church, dedicated to Saint-Pierre dates from the 15th and 16 th centuries. The remarkablealtarpiece of the high altar goes back to approximately 1650. A great niche shelters Saint-Pierre framed of two sitting angels, testifying to an evolution towards the baroque.
Not to miss the beam of glory and the stoup (small Gallo-Roman pot).

SOUANCE-AU-PERCHE
The lords of Montdoucet and the Chaise (one finds two towers of these names in the castle of Nogent) ,vassals of ROTROU, had a Souancé field. This village established on the banks of Ronne is typical of Perche with its laundrettes, its scrap-metal and springs (fountain of Saint-Marc and Saint-Georges). The Saint-Georges church dates from the 16th century; its gate is surmounted by an accodance and pinnacles. Stained glasses recall the life of saint patron.

VICHERES
This village is located on the foot of the hill of Rougemont, climax of the department of Eure-and-Loir (285 meters), from where one enjoys a splendid view point on the valley of Berthe and its surroundings. The church of the 16th century, curiously located in semi-slope is made up of two joined naves, and a beautiful Renaissance door (walled) which gives on the central bay; it was the door reserved to the lords of the place. The legend tells that "the Lady of Bure was so malicious and so arrogant, that by punishment of the sky, she swelled so much that her enormous coffin could not cross the door of the church; during the following night, this door was miraculously walled and in the morning the vicherians put the lady in earth without other ceremony."

BRUNELLES
Built on a hill and dominated by the elegant bell-tower of the Saint Martin's church, it is rich of history. Brunelles devoted its name to the one of the towers of the castle of Nogent-le-Rotrou, the lords of the place, the vassals of Rotrou, being held for the guard of the Saint Jean Castle. Between Brunelles and Ozée is the abbey " Notre-Dame-du-Val-d'Arcisses " which depended on the monks of Thiron and knew a certain reputation. Today, there remains only one arch of door encrusted in the frontage of a private house. In the surroundings was held in 1228 the combat between Blanche de CASTILLE and Enguerrand de COUCY who had usurped the title of the count of Perche.

CHAMPROND-EN-PERCHET
It is a very wooded Commune (wood of Perchet, of the Nipples, Chainville), located on the Valley of Roquet. The ruins of the old church of the 10"th century are visible between the under wood and the pastures on the edge of the village. It was given around 1035 by GEOFFROY V to the abbey of Saint-Denis. In the Middle Ages, the land of Champrond and its forest belonged to the direct field of the ROTROU. In the locality called " Les Salles ", the Counts of Perche had their residence where they could be devoted to the pleasure of hunting. The parish was removed and annexed in 1803 to Brunelles.

GAUDAINE
In this commune is born the brook of Arcisses which throws in the Valley of Roquet in Nogent Rotrou. The rural church dedicated to the Virgin knew the pilgrimage known as of Saint-Marcoul. A saying of the country ironically applied the name of "prior of Gaudaine" to those who wanted to appear above their condition. The priory of Gaudaine depended on the abbey of Saint-Chéron in Chartres.

TRIZAY-COUTRETOT-SAINT-SERGE
Village formed by the meeting of three communes in 1835 but always distant in space. There is an undulating landscape crossed by the valley of Berthe. The church of Trizay, enlarged in the 19th century, presents stained glasses recalling the life of Saint Martin,who is the owner of the parish. In Coutretôt, one can still see the ruins of the very old church of Romanesque style (8th to the 10th centuries).

MARGON
The church of the 11th century enlarged in the 16th century dominates the old borough over its rocky outcrop; it kept its Romanesque gate. Inside , two statues are coming from the abbeys of Arcisses, Saint-Benoît and Sainte-Scholastique. Each last Sunday of June, one burns on stake a model"called "Bourbonnaise": the origin of this habit are the fires of Midsummer's Day, doubled with few legends. Outside the village, the valley of the Bell sees the sinuous river bathing many pastures where grazethe bovines and the horses that are often of perchian race.