The Romanesque church was originally a priory. It was rebuilt in the second half of the 11th century by Simon 1st, Lord of Clefmont, at the foot of his castle.
The nave and façade remain from this period and from the 12th century. The latter is adorned with a rare sculpted ensemble. The semi-circular portal, whose arches are decorated with geometric elements, features historiated scenes, probably episodes from the life of Saint-Thibaut.
This portal is topped by a frieze of volutes that runs the full width of the façade. Higher up, a large semicircular geminate window illuminates the nave. The capitals of the columns are decorated with animals and plants. The central shaft features a figure with a dove on each shoulder, holding a child and placing its foot on the head of a horned animal. This figure can be seen as the Virgin presenting the Child Saviour.
In the 15th century, the Lords of Clefmont, now part of the Choiseul family, decided to be buried in the church. A Gothic-style seigneurial chapel with a vault was built on the north side of the building. It features keystones with coats of arms and several tombstones, including that of Guillaume de Choiseul (who died in 1479). The lord is immortalised in armour, accompanied by his coat of arms. Further on, there is the tombstone of his first wife, Jeanne du Châtelet (who died in 1461), while the church's chevet and bell tower were rebuilt in the 19th century.
The interior features a Virgin and Child (16th-century polychrome stone statue), Notre Dame de Piété or Deploration of Christ (16th-century polychrome stone sculpture), 12th-century capitals with foliage and figures, and the altarpiece by Jean-Baptiste Bouchardon, an 18th-century Chaumont sculptor. The church's patron saint, Saint Thibaut de Provins, is represented by a statue and a late 19th-century stained glass window.
Eglise Saint-Thibaut de Clefmont
