The church of Saint-Vallier in Noidant-le-Rocheux dates back to the 13th century (as indicated by its choir), although records date its consecration to 1390. Around 1769, the bell tower on the nave threatened to collapse, so it was rebuilt in front of the portal with an eight-sided spire, and the church was enlarged by the construction of two chapels. In 1786, the inhabitants wanted to rebuild the nave, but lacking sufficient funds, they turned to Canon Diderot, Grand Archdeacon of Langres and brother of the philosopher, who directed them to Materot (or Matrot), a master mason in Langres but originally from Noidant, to carry out the work for a modest price. The estimates and plans were drawn up in May 1787 by the architect Jean Gaulle, commissioned by Diderot. A letter from Diderot dated 2 July begged the subdelegate of the Intendance to accept the above conditions, and a letter from the subdelegate written on the same date suggested that Canon Diderot, who was wealthy, could contribute financially and that the inhabitants could transport the materials. Diderot's conditions were accepted on 24 July 1787 by the Intendant of Champagne, and the nave was rebuilt. Finally, in 1838, the last of the work to rebuild the bell tower and enlarge the nave was completed. The elongated building comprises a nave with a single panelled nave, a tower-porch crowned by a polygonal slate-roofed spire, a portal protected by a triangular pediment supported by two columns and a two-bay choir listed on the Inventaire Supplémentaire des Monuments Historiques (Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments) on 3 October 1929.
Eglise Saint-Vallier de Noidant-le-Rocheux
