Situated along an ancient route important from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, the site of Mormant is a "Maison-Dieu de chemin", designed to "receive pilgrims and help the poor", in a vaulted hospital-church, still visible today. It was founded at the time of the First Crusade (1095-1099) by a powerful Champagne lord, Hugues Bardoul II de Broyes-Châteauvillain, lord of Beaufort, Baye, Trye-le-Bardoul, Charmentré and finally Arc-en-Barrois, on whose Burgundian territory it was established.
Although disfigured by the vicissitudes of history, the whole of the Mormant site remains a major site for the history of roadside hospitals, and the building of the former Maison-Dieu is one of the only known remains of this type in France still standing. It became the property of the commune of Leffonds in 1982 and was listed as a Historic Monument in 1989.
Today, the Maison-Dieu in Mormant is ideally situated on the Via Francigena, which has been designated a "major cultural itinerary by the Council of Europe". This great route, which crosses Europe from north to south, is almost certainly a Gallic route, later reclassified as a Roman route, running directly from England to Rome.
The historic site of Mormant can be visited independently all year round, thanks to a 400-metre-long tourist trail. Visitors are advised to stay away from the buildings. It is strictly forbidden to enter the buildings or carry stones. Guided tours can be booked by email (minimum group size: 4 people). For all enquiries, please contact the association's president on 06 43 37 11 26 or mormant52@hotmail.com.
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Maison-Dieu de Mormant
