Maisoncelles-en-Gâtinais
Maisoncelles-en-Gâtinais, located in Seine-et-Marne within the Île-de-France region, is approximately 45 km from Melun and 13 km from Nemours. Nestled in the Beauce Gâtinaise plains, this small village has a rich history tied to French royalty. In the 13th century, Queen Jeanne of Navarre, mother to three French kings and a queen of England, held Maisoncelles as part of the royal domain of Nemours. Over the centuries, ownership shifted to notable families, including the Barville and later the Nicot family, who held nearby lands. By the 18th century, it belonged to the Marquis of Rumont.
The village’s Romanesque Saint Michel Church, dating to the 13th century, is modest, with narrow windows in its bell tower and a portal framed by sculpted columns with human figures.
Local houses in Maisoncelles reflect the traditional Gâtinais style. These rural homes usually have two main rooms: a multi-purpose kitchen and a slightly larger family bedroom. Distinctive features include a small high dormer window, edged in red bricks in the Île-de-France style, large enough to pass a 100-kilo sack of grain on a porter’s back. This practical architecture captures the area's agricultural heritage.