How did Boullay-les-Troux get its intriguing name? We are standing in a village that was once known simply as “Les Trous” – “The Holes.” This peculiar name hints at a past intertwined with the region’s geology. Boullay-les-Troux sits on a landscape dotted with quarries of millstone, a type of rock perfect for grinding grain. These quarries, you see, left behind noticeable holes in the landscape, giving the village its original name. The “Boullay” part came later, added in 1863, possibly stemming from the Gaulish word for birch trees – “Betula”. Imagine then, a village nestled amongst birch trees and quarry holes. But Boullay-les-Troux holds more than just geological tales. In the 12th century, the Knights Templar, a powerful religious order, were gifted the lands of Boullay. Centuries later, a man named Guillaume Dugué de Bagnols, a staunch supporter of the Jansenist movement, purchased the village. He built a grand chateau that became a haven for Jansenists fleeing persecution. Though the chateau was destroyed in 1825, Boullay-les-Troux still exudes an air of quiet history, a testament to the passage of time and the enduring spirit of this quaint French village.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.