Geville: Saint-Léger Church and Rangeval Abbey

If you are considering Geville for a trip, you can explore two historic buildings from different periods: the Église Saint-Léger de Gironville and the former Abbaye de Rangeval. There is also a named hike in the Parc naturel régional de Lorraine, which passes through Jouy-sous-les-Côtes and Gironville-sous-les-Côtes to the Chapelle de Jévaux. This gives you architectural history and a specific route as distinct focuses for your plans.

Church architecture and location

The name Église Saint-Léger de Gironville includes Gironville, but the church is located in Geville—a useful distinction when searching for the building. It was rebuilt as a hall church in the early 16th century, along with a fortified enclosure. In a hall church, the nave and aisles are approximately the same height; the term therefore describes the building’s form. The fortified enclosure also dates from this rebuilding phase. The church is classified as a historic monument.

The chronology is especially clear when comparing it with the abbey: Saint-Léger represents rebuilding in the early 16th century, while Rangeval’s main construction campaign took place in the first half of the 18th century. This lets you distinguish the two buildings in Geville by their different periods.

The former Abbaye de Rangeval

The former Abbaye de Rangeval is also located in Geville, on the R.N. 408; it previously belonged to the commune of Corniéville. Its main construction campaign dates from the first half of the 18th century, and 1729 is given as its year of construction. The construction work in 1729 is attributed to the architect Nicolas Pierson père. The abbey has been protected as a historic monument since July 12, 1965.

To understand the chronology, it is worth distinguishing the roles of the dates: the first half of the 18th century refers to the main construction campaign, 1729 is the stated year of construction, and July 12, 1965 marks the start of monument protection. Its former affiliation with Corniéville does not change the fact that the abbey is located in Geville.

Hike to the Chapelle de Jévaux

A hike in the Parc naturel régional de Lorraine passes through Jouy-sous-les-Côtes and Gironville-sous-les-Côtes to the Chapelle de Jévaux and its spring, described as miraculous. For your travel plans, it offers a specific route through two named places, with the chapel and spring as its destination. The hiking theme differs from the architectural history of Geville’s monuments: here, the focus is a route with a named destination.

There is an important planning note for the hike “Vieux forts, sources, croix et chapelle au départ de Gironville”: it is not permanently waymarked. Follow the route description if you want to take this hike.

Preservation goal at Fort de Jouy-sous-les-Côtes

The association Les amis du fort de Jouy-sous-les-Côtes aims to secure, maintain, and renovate the fort in order to turn it into a cultural venue. The project combines preservation of the fort with the intention of giving it a cultural role.

Discover more destinations: Buxières-Sous-Les-Côtes, Dun-Sur-Meuse, Saint-Mihiel, Bar-Le-Duc, Nettancourt, Ville-Sur-Saulx, Les Hauts-de-Chée, Amel-Sur-L'etang.

For the overview of the wider region: Meuse.