The Church of Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens was rebuilt in 1877 in the 13th-century style. The combination of a specific year of reconstruction with a much earlier architectural style makes it a striking introduction to the architectural history of Oussoy-en-Gâtinais. The transept gives the floor plan the shape of a Latin cross: a transverse arm crosses the longitudinal axis. An old grave inscription for Guillaume Mauduit is set into one of the church walls. The building’s form, its reconstruction and the inscription draw attention to different aspects: the church’s shape, its architectural classification and a grave marker bearing a person’s name.
The church and château: architectural forms and history
Château de Courtigis adds another historical context to this picture. It was built on the site of an earlier château that was destroyed in the 16th century, and it has a mansard roof. The site’s history and the roof’s shape offer two different points of reference: one points to a predecessor building, while the other describes a feature of the château’s architecture. Another historical trace is the ground-level remains of the Motte Médiévale des Prés, which are preserved along the road to Saint-Hilaire. Here, the focus is on traces in the landscape rather than a roof or building form. The church, château and motte can thus be viewed as different ways of exploring the history of the area.
Visits and seasonal observations
EARL Lédanès offers guided and self-guided visits to groups and individual visitors by request. The visit lasts one hour on average; arrange the specific details of your visit in advance. This timeframe makes it easy to plan the visit as a separate activity. The 2024 family guide describes observing donkey foals in spring and summer, as well as watching the milking in autumn, winter and spring. The two periods overlap in spring. In summer, observing the foals is also an option, while milking is described as taking place in autumn and winter too. If you are planning a visit around one of these activities, you can tailor your request to the seasonal activity you are most interested in. During a visit, you can also learn about donkey farming. The 2025 producers’ guide describes EARL Lédanès as a farm that produces organic donkey’s milk.
The Forêt d’Orléans and planning your trip
Stays in Oussoy-en-Gâtinais also offer opportunities for walks and cycling trips in the Forêt d’Orléans. Oussoy-en-Gâtinais is located north of the Forêt d’Orléans. This adds a focus on outdoor activities to the area’s architecture and history. If you would rather focus your stay on scenery and activity, you can make these activities the centrepiece of your trip.
When looking for a holiday rental, you can start with what interests you most: would you like to focus on architecture and historical traces, plan a visit by request, or give more weight to walks and cycling trips in the Forêt d’Orléans? This lets you plan your trip around the topics that interest you without putting every stop in a fixed order.
Discover more destinations: Chaingy, Orléans, Ouzouer-sur-Loire, Boismorand, Châlette-Sur-Loing, Château-Renard, Chilleurs-Aux-Bois, Sennely.
See the regional travel overview: Loiret.
