Chambry has retained its rural character; built-up areas account for only a small part of the municipality. The village’s history includes memorial sites from the First World War, the architectural history of the church and traces of former community life. Visitors choosing a destination with a historical focus can explore different periods in Chambry: the fighting of 1914, older church art and memories of everyday life in the community.
First World War memorial sites
The national necropolis in Chambry is the resting place of the remains of 1,334 soldiers who fell for France in the Battle of the Ourcq in September 1914. The necropolis can be visited independently year-round; check the official visitor information before you travel. The German military cemetery lies on the other side of the railway line from the national necropolis. It is the resting place of the remains of 998 soldiers who fell in the Meaux area in September 1914. The two cemeteries therefore offer different historical points of reference: the Battle of the Ourcq is the focus at the national necropolis, while the German cemetery commemorates those who fell in the Meaux area.
The Musée de la Grande Guerre’s current educational trail, “Bataille de la Marne 1914,” includes the civilian cemetery, the French military necropolis and the German military cemetery in Chambry. Compared with visiting the national necropolis independently, it also takes in two other memorial sites. Check the museum’s booking conditions before making plans.
Church and older architecture
The Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul combines older architecture with the events of 1914. During the Battle of the Marne, it housed a military hospital and was damaged by German bombardment. It also has a 16th-century stained-glass window, which was restored after the First World War and again in 2002. According to tradition, the north aisle, with its carved capitals depicting animal motifs, is the only surviving part of the former building. The window points to an earlier period; the hospital’s use and the damage it sustained are part of the history of the Battle of the Marne.
Washhouses, fountains and monuments
The village’s history is also reflected in its washhouses. The Fontaine-Reine washhouse on Rue des Prés is the only one of Chambry’s four washhouses to have survived. The municipal washhouse is accessible via Rue des Prés. It stands on the east bank of the Mansigny stream and was built in 1893. The village fountain still flows; its reconstructed stone basin occupies the northern part of Place du Monument.
Three wayside crosses stand at crossroads and road junctions, bearing witness to the municipality’s religious past. The Quatre Routes Monument was created at the request of General Gallieni and built by army engineers. These two forms of remembrance have different emphases: the religious connection is central to the wayside crosses, while the Quatre Routes Monument is defined by the specific commission and its construction by army engineers.
Getting there
A bus route serves Chambry. Check the current timetable before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Seine-Port, Cocherel, Rozay-en-Brie, Orly-Sur-Morin, Saint-Mesmes, Cannes-Ecluse, Torcy, Fontainebleau
For the full travel guide: Seine-Et-Marne.
