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Origin and history

The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Morienval, founded probably in the 9th century by Charles le Chauve, is a former Benedictine abbey located in the present municipality of Morienval (Oise, Hauts-de-France). Although local tradition attributes its foundation to King Dagobert I, there is no record of it. The first written mention dates from 920, with a charter from Charles the Simple confirming a donation from Charles the Chauve. The abbey, originally mixed, became exclusively feminine after the 11th century. Its church, built from the middle of the 11th century, is a masterpiece of Romanesque art, mixing Carolingian elements (face tower, transept-bas, step bedside) and innovations such as broken arch and early dogid vaults.

The abbey church, classified as a historic monument in 1840, is famous for its pseudo-deambulatory (circa 1110-1125), a unique architectural solution to strengthen an unstable bedside, as well as its Romanesque capitals with Celtic and Merovingian motifs. In the 12th century, the abbey prospered thanks to the relics of Saint Annobert, attracting pilgrims and donations. However, its decline began in the 14th and 15th centuries, a poorly documented period. In the 18th century, conflicts between nuns and the local priest, as well as a riot in 1742, led to its closure in 1745 by Louis XV. The church then becomes parish, while the convent buildings are partly demolished or transformed into a farm.

The restoration of the church, carried out in two phases (1878-1880 and 1900-1903) by architect Paul Selmersheim, gives the building its original Romanesque aspect, despite some controversial reconstructions (such as the vaults of the north side). Today, the abbey is distinguished by its twin towers of the choir (XI century), its bell tower-porch and its carved capitals, testimonies of a Romanesque art still marked by preroman traditions. The site also preserves traces of the convent buildings, such as the 16th century portery and the pavilion of the Abbess.

The abbey plays a central role in local life until its abolition. In the Middle Ages, she managed land, mills and tithes, and founded charitable works (malarry, school). Its decline in the 18th century is explained by internal tensions and the loss of religious discipline. After 1745, his property was transferred to the Abbey of Royallieu, impoverishing the village of Morienval. The church, now affiliated with Saint Peter's parish in the autumn valley, remains an active place of worship and a jewel of the Romanesque heritage of Hauts-de-France.

Among the remarkable elements of the furniture are the gissant of Florent de Hangest (died 1191), a cross knight buried in the abbey, as well as 16th century stalls and an 18th century eagle-lutrin. The statues, often from local folk art, would come from the former parish church of Saint-Denis, demolished in 1750. The abbey is also linked to figures such as Jeanne de la Motte d的Arson (first abbesse commendataire in 1516) or Anne Foucault de Saint-Germain-Beaupré, who modernized the buildings in the 16th century.

Archaeological excavations (1855, 1900) revealed remains of the Carolingian nave (IXth-Xth century) and confirmed the complex evolution of the building, marked by collapses (such as that of the primitive abside) and Gothic changes. The site, enclaved in a wooded valley, offers a picturesque setting, reinforcing the attraction of this emblematic monument of Valois.

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