Noncourt, Ste Ursule - history
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There
was
already
a
chapel
in
Noncourt
in
1123.
It
was
given
with
its
dependencies
to
the
abbey
of
St
Mansuy
of
Toul
with
the
church
of
Saint-Nicolas
of
Neufchâteau,
and
its
name
was
then
Hunacourt.
This
name
gradually
became
Hunocourt,
Unocourt,
Ononcourt,
Enoncourt
and
finally
Noncourt.
The
nave
of
this
church
dates
from
the
16th
century
but
was
heavily
remodeled,
the
exterior
framework
is
interesting.
The
old
hotel
was
made
of
a
beautiful
large
stone
and
had
been
consecrated
by
Christian
de
Gournay,
Coadjutor
of
the
bishop
of
Toul
at
the
time,
the
cardinal
of
Lorraine.
The
Hundred
Years'
War
damaged
the
church
considerably.
The
country
suffered
from
the
plague.
The
relics
of
Saint
Ursula
were
then
taken
to
the
church
of
Saint-Nicolas
from
where,
on
the
orders
of
the
Bishop
of
Toul,
they
were
brought
back
a
few
hundred
years
later.
In
the
choir,
on
the
left,
we
notice
the
tomb
of
François
Mouginot,
knight
of
Saint-Louis,
captain
in
the
Limousin
regiment,
lord
of
Noncourt,
who
died
in
1664.
The
current
sacristy
was
probably
part
of
the
old
chapel
of
the
castle.
Outside,
we
can
still
see
buttresses,
and
above
this
current
sacristy,
a
stone
fireplace.
Everything
seems
to
date
from
the
15th
century:
see
the
small
ogival
window
walled
up
inside
the
sacristy.
This
is
the
oldest
part
of
the
church.
During
the
last
whitewashing
of
the
church,
it
appeared
that
consecration
crosses
had
been
painted
on
the
walls
of
the
nave.
This
church
may
have
been
consecrated
in
the
17th
century
with
many
other
churches
in
the
Vosges.
In
a
request
from
the
inhabitants
of
Noncourt
to
Monseigneur
de
Blouet,
Bishop
of
Toul,
they
say
that
the
Church
of
Noncourt
is
the
church
of
the
said
Neufchâteau.
There
are
no
documents
to
find
this
allegation.
Lands
in
Noncourt
were
owned
for
a
very
long
time
by
the
abbey
of
Chaumousey
near
Épinal.
The
name
of
the
country
is
cited
very
frequently
in
the
acts
of
this
abbey.
In
1801,
the
inhabitants
of
Noncourt
asked
that
their
church
be
erected
as
a
branch.
The
proximity
of
Neufchâteau
prevented
this
from
happening.
The
stone
statue
of
Saint
Anatole
dates
from
the
14th
century.
The
wooden
statue
of
Saint
Ursula
and
Saint
Anatole
from
the
17th
century.
Two
other
statues
of
the
brotherhoods
of
Saint
Ursula
and
the
Holy
Virgin
from
the
same
period.
By
order
of
the
Bishop
of
Toul,
the
Brotherhood
of
the
Holy
Virgin
celebrates
its
feast
on
the
day
of
the
Immaculate
Conception.
Note
that
the
side
hotels
are
also
made
of
a
large
and
beautiful
room.
Their
steps
are
made
of
white
stone.
The
paintings
of
the
altars,
the
work
of
a
local
craftsman,
are
worthy
of
interest
and
apparently
date
from
the
18th
century.
