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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Church of the Nativity-de-la-Sainte-Vierge de Villers-Campsart, located in the southwest of the Somme department, is an emblematic 16th-century building. Built in brick, it illustrates the flamboyant Gothic style, characteristic of this architectural period. Its inscription in historical monuments by decree of 19 February 1926 bears witness to its heritage value, thus preserving a major artistic and religious heritage for the Picardie region (now Hauts-de-France).

Inside the church is a polychrome wooden altarpiece dedicated to Marie-Madeleine, from the old chapel of the local castle. This altarpiece represents the saint in a wooded landscape evoking, according to oral tradition, the forest and the castle of Arguel. There are two characters: Jean de la Rivière, seigneur of the place, and Marie de Benserade, chestnut, kneeling on both sides of the scene. An inscription in Gothic letters exhorted the faithful: "You who sin, do not despair." This altarpiece, along with a beam of glory representing Christ accompanied by the Virgin and Saint John, underline the iconographic richness of the building.

Among the other remarkable elements, the church preserves several wooden or stone statues, including a Virgin with the Child, a Holy Barbe sitting, a Virgin of Mercy, and a bas-relief of the Descent of the Cross. These works, typical of medieval and reborn devotion, reflect the importance of sacred art in the community life of Villers-Campsart. Their presence attests to an active religious past, marked by the patronage of the local lords, as evidenced by the retable commissioned by the Rivière family.

The church, owned by the commune, remains a place of memory and worship, open to the visit. Its architecture and furniture offer an overview of 16th century artistic and spiritual practices in Picardy, while anchoring the village in a shared heritage. Available sources, such as the work of Abbé Lesueur or the Fondation Mérimée et Clochers de France, document his history and his protection, ensuring its transmission to future generations.

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