Paray-Douaville brings together ancient routes, church art and architectural history. The ancient Chaussée Jules César crosses the commune; the Boucle d’Allainville walking route also passes through the village. A 12th-century cemetery cross, the Château de Douaville and the Church of Saint-Pierre each add their own historical character. Agricultural land covers the rest of the commune.
Ancient Routes and Landscape
The Chaussée Jules César connected Lutèce with Cenebum, today’s Orléans, and crosses the territory of Paray-Douaville. Another specific way to explore the history of the routes is the Boucle d’Allainville: this walking route passes through the village and follows an old Roman road that connected Paris with Orléans. The historic road connection is therefore not just part of the village’s history, but is also present along a named walking route.
Land use offers another perspective on the commune: agricultural land covers the rest of its territory. This places the historic transport links alongside a clearly described landscape. Those interested in exploring history on foot can include the Boucle d’Allainville as a specific walking route in their travel plans.
Architectural History in Several Stages
The cemetery cross in Paray-Douaville is octagonal, or eight-sided, and dates from the 12th century. It was damaged during the Revolution and rebuilt between 1853 and 1858. This single structure reveals both its medieval origins and its much later restoration.
The parts of the Château de Douaville also help trace its chronology: the central building dates from the 18th century, while the two side wings were not added until the end of the 19th century. Its architectural history therefore spans distinct periods, visible in the central building and later extensions.
Another glimpse into local history leads to the hamlet of Le Petit Orme. There, the sugar factory was built in 1876 for the Compagnie La Sucrerie de Paray. Paray-Douaville is also home to the former distillery, the shed and the sugar factory director’s house. The railway line is another link to the area’s economic history: between 1876 and 1914, it fostered economic development in the northern part of the commune.
The Church of Saint-Pierre and Its Historic Connections
The Church of Saint-Pierre is located at 26b rue de Barthélémy. In the parish church, the 19th-century painting “Saint Louis après la bataille de Damiette” is located on the south wall of the last bay of the nave. A holy water stoup is associated with the parish Church of Saint-Pierre in the cemetery. If you would like to visit the church interior, it is best to check accessibility in advance.
Tombs also offer specific clues to local history and design. Marie Henriette de Barthélémy’s tomb bears the Barthélémy family coat of arms and is designed in the Neo-Gothic style. Eléonore Guenon’s tomb is that of the parish priest of Paray-Douaville, who died in 1892; it bears the signature “Gasnot à Auneau”.
According to Abbé Gauthier, Paray-Douaville became a parish in 850, during the reign of Charles the Bald. The Church of Paray-Douaville was dependent on Clairefontaine Abbey from the 15th century until 1791. These two historical references cover different periods: the early account of the parish and the church’s later dependency.
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