An ancient history ...
On-site Saint-Leu-d'Esserent, signs of human activity dating back to the Paleolithic.
Indices Gallo-Roman and Merovingian suggest that the site was continuously occupied since that time.
The fate of the city changed in 1081, when Hugues de Dammartin, lord, gave to the abbey of Cluny land he owns in Hescerent. The Order of Cluny sent some monks founded a monastery dedicated to Saint Leu.
The whole monastic: From all monastic church still exist, the gatehouse, cloister, part of the fortifications, the loft and the cellar banvin. It was built in the twelfth-thirteenth centuries, takes its name from the old feudal law banvin. The monks stocked and sold their wine, wine harvested hillsides.
A priory church the size of a cathedral ... The priory grew quickly. The community of monks decided to expand the old Romanesque church. In the first half of the 12th century, construction began on the porch in a late Romanesque style. Work continues in 1160 with the construction of the apse. In the 13th century a Gothic nave connects together. The priory church is 71 m long, 21 m wide and 27 m high ceiling. It is considered a masterpiece of the art of transition: the construction starts with the Romanesque and Gothic ends full time.
The castle Guesdière: After installation of the priory, the monks are constantly exposed to the hostility of the villagers and some lords of the area. The Order of Cluny then makes an agreement with the Comte de Clermont: to protect the monks, some soldiers are stationed in the count a strong home offered by the priory. This house is the original castle Guesdière. It grows in the following centuries. It now houses the municipal museum and services. One can also discover a mural depicting Marie-Felicie Orsini.
Great jacquerie: In 1337, when starts the Hundred Years War, the priory has about 30 monks, which equates to a total population of about 100 people. The long decline of the monastery begins. The medieval history of Saint-Leu was also marked by an event of national significance: Great jacquerie. It broke in Saint-Leu May 28, 1358. That day, a few knights of the Earl of Clermont pass through Saint-Leu. The villagers take them to task. Four knights and squires five were killed, including Raoul and Jean de Clermont. The revolt spread to all Beauvais and lasted until the bloody crackdown by the nobility.
Industrial Heritage: The monastery, already moribund, was dismantled during the Revolution. Saint-Leu-d'Esserent lives since the rhythm of careers that are experiencing strong activity in the 19th century, and the pace of candy, created in 1863. The stone quarried in the city is excellent. It was notably used in the construction of Versailles, the cathedral of Chartres and other internationally known landmarks. Careers become mushroom at the end of the 19th century. Candy, some buildings are still visible, is the central element of the life of the town in the first half of the 20th century. It closed in 1974.
The Castle Museum of Guesdière: The major event in the recent history of the city is its destruction in 1944, following the Allied bombing: this included destroying V1 stored by the Germans in the careers city. The history of Saint-Leu is illustrated by the museum Guesdière, located in the oldest parts of the castle.
