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In the spring of 1187, the Duchy of Berry (Central France) was the scene of a confrontation between the Houses of France and England. The Lower Berry was then in the hands of the English King Henry II Plantagenet.
Having gathered his army in Bourges, Philip-Augustus, king of France, marched on Châteauroux, a fortified town near Déols (Berry). The son of Henry II Plantagenet, Richard "the Lionheart", built a defensive position in the place and ordered his troops to seize all the food they could find, then to burn the town of Déols and to destroy the monastery.
On Saturday, May 30, 1187, at nightfall, the situation became critical. The residents of Déols gathered in front of the portal of the abbey church, whose doors were closed. Their prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose painted sculpture is above the portal, provoked the mockery of some English soldiers. A rock, thrown by one of the soldiers on the statue of the Virgin, broke the arm of the Child Jesus. The arm fell to the ground and a stream of blood gushed from the mutilated stone! As for the author of the sacrilege, he collapsed and died on the spot.
The news spread during the night among Richard's troops, causing great fear. The next day, some knights came to see the miracle. They vied for the bloodstained stones to keep them as precious relics, and found the stone arm, still wet and red with blood. An "illustrious personage" then stealthily took the arm and wrapped it in a cloth; by mixing with the crowd, he managed to conceal his theft.
The same evening, Count Richard came to the scene. He issued an edict punishing with death anyone who dared to lay hands on the abbey's property. The king of England himself, accompanied by his sons, came to visit the monastery.
The miracle had a profound effect on people's minds. Not only did Richard the Lionheart spare the town of Déols, but he also withdrew his troops, leaving the enemy with a serious advantage! But the emotion was as great in the French camp as it was in the English!
The fact is that the truce observed by the two armies immediately after the miracle determined the king of France to enter into talks with Richard the Lionheart and perhaps with Henry II himself. These long talks lead to the signing of the peace on June 23.
Jean Hubert, « Le miracle de Déols et la trêve conclue en 1187 entre les rois de France et d'Angleterre », Bibliothèque de l'école des chartes, vol. 96, 1935, p. 285-300