To want to present the church of Vouzeron, it is to present the village itself, since this one is closely related to the existence of this one. Indeed, it is impossible to speak about Vouzeron without quoting the text of the year 843, in which, by a donation made by a knight called Ambran with the abbey of Dévres, it yielded a dedicated church in Saint Martin's day, located in the villa of Vouzeron with the arable land which depended on it. At that time, the noble knights gave largely to pious works…

It is necessary to recall that at the end of the Carolingian time, the churches and the vaults were subjected to the mode domanial; they were often regarded as integral part of the field and followed her fate: they were bought, given, sold, bequeathed like him. These fields were “villas” term which one should not confuse with the current definition which indicates a dwelling of prestige.

All the churches were to have incomes, which explains the arable land addition It is under the pontificate from Rodolphe, archbishop of Bourges between 839 and 865 that this donation appears in three Chartres signed by the king himself. The Latin text specifies us that it is in “in villa Vocabulo Voseronico…” and it is in these some words that we find the origin of the village.

Like the whole of the terms, Vouzeron with modified the orthography of its name to the liking of the years; as example one can quote in 1236; VOSERON in a cartulaire of Vierzon. In 1290: Parrocha of VOSERON. In 1544, in a text of the abbey of Saint-Sulpice: VOULZERON.

In the research of the origin of the toponym of Vouzeron, the etymology is not of any help, thus the name of Voseronico into 843 becomes already towards 900 Voseronto, then in 1236 Vozerun, 1290 Parrochia de Vouzerone1, Vosero in 1396 Voulzeron on Baranjon in 1544.

To seek is the old form of a place name, it to take into account the fact that it is, like the patronyms, prone to the phonetic variations, imaginations of the scribes, the modes of the universities For Vouzeron, (this assumption suggested forever in the preceding studies), one should not neglect the toponym of Gallic origin “Vobero” which meant “brook more or less hidden” do not have not Barangeon which curves under the shades? The successive deformations could give: Vozero, denomination which one finds besides in 1396 in the cartulaire of the abbey of Saint-Sulpice, to come to current form: Vouzeron? Barangeon, as for him is called in 1768 Vajon or Brayon in the large gazetteer of Martinière.

The church is dedicated to Saint Martin's day:

At the end of the IV° century Saint Martin's day was bishop of Turns, he traversed his diocese and the close dioceses. He was wire of a military powerful orator, enlisted itself at fifteen years, baptized at ten eight years in Amiens or according to the tradition he divided his coat with poor For this act of charity, he was punished by the Roman army which had not appreciated the destruction of a good belonging to him.

The influence exerted by Saint Martin's day in Berry left traces. The veneration granted to its name was so large, that more than 125 parish churches of the diocese (close to the fifth) had chosen it for owner, among these churches, that of Vouzeron. A stained glass of the chorus (gift of the baron Roger) is devoted to him.

The other saint present in the church is Saint-Wolf. Saint-wolf, born in Orleans of royal family after a stay as monk with Lérins, was named archbishop of Direction. It should not be confused with its homonym bishop of Troyes. Its legend, little known is rich in miracles or wonders. She must be received with respect by the faithful ones and curiosity by the agnostics and the incroyants. A banner of Saint-Lou (or Saint-Wolf and even Saint-Leu) represents it with the crown of martyrdom. Found in the attic of the church hall, it had undergone the maltreatment of the rats and the birds. It took again its place after restoration, on September 19, 2004, in the vault which is devoted to this saint (Currently on the left while entering the church).

The brotherhood of Saint-Wolf has the aim of obtaining the protection of this saint pontiff for the children and any person who suffers from nervous disorders, convulsions, frights. She dates from the beginning of the XIXéme century and was flourishing already in 1831, but undoubtedly existed well before the Revolution.

The first sheets of inscriptions go back to 1836 and enter more than 300 participants. The last inscriptions go back to 1954. Many families of Vouzeron were registered with this brotherhood. The statue of the saint was led in procession… Certain inhabitants still have the memory of it…

Pierre BRAUD

In 1883, the current bell-tower comes to replace the old wood tower equipped with a hood (” caquetoné”) thanks to generosity with the Baron Eugene Roger. This church is bénite on October 18, 1883, Monseigneur Jean Marchal being archbishop of Bourges and the Barillet abbot cleaned of Vouzeron. In a letter, probably sent to the director of a newspaper, P. Lamoureux, priest of Mehun, described the event: “… at Vouzeron, Thursday, one blessed the church, the very new church, except the sanctuary which had been previously restored. Beautiful and broad nave replaced the old one and, instead of this odd bell-tower out of wooden of formerly, planted on four piles, a splendid stone bell-tower surmounted of a bold arrow rises which finishes with the height of 145 feet by a monumental cross”. If the priest of Vierzon officiated with the mass, it is the abbot Hurel, former chaplain of co. Genevieve, which pronounced the sermon, during which “it spoke to in praise of Mr. the Baron Roger, the badge benefactor of this country which belongs to him almost in entirety…”. It continues as follows: “Him only, also, wanted to make all the expenses of the festival.” describing whole ox and the “innocent plays offered to youth”, saying in conclusion: “It is necessary to be rich, told me somebody, to offer similar festivals - and I added: yes, it is necessary to be rich especially delicate, generous and avid heart to make the good”.

It is about at the same time as the Brotherhood “Saint Wolf” is established in Vouzeron, as well as an annual pilgrimage, 1st Sunday of September. In 1951, the JAC launches the harvest festival which, in 1979, will become the village fair of Vouzeron. In 1972, the Projecting-Compoint Bernadette mayor makes electrify the clock, while the bell-tower and the cover are restored, Claude Perrot being mayor. In 1979, constitutes parochial association “Martin Saint”, at the instigation of Avoiding Michel, of which the goal is the interior installation of the church. For Christmas 1982, the chorus is transformed and a new furnace bridge is drawn up by B. Grafte and its fellow workers (D. Bournours, J. Mr. Chalmin, B. Dabert, F. Hammer, C. Segret and J.F. Turpin) the sculptor Jonasz Pyrz producing the gate vault and Michel Larivé providing the candlesticks. On April 10, 1983, dedication of the major furnace bridge by Monseigneur Paul Vignancour, archbishop of Bourges, the mayor of Vouzeron being J.M. Jouannet, the president of association St Martin Georges Guillon and the priest Rene Bodineau.

Thus more the small villages have sometimes a history full with richness…

MIDDLE-CLASS Claude