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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Nicolas de Meulan, located in Meulan-en-Yvelines in the Yvelines, is a Gothic building built in two major countrysides: the bedside and the first spans in the third quarter of the 12th century, and the first two spans in the early 13th century. His atypical plan, with a walk without radiant chapels or transept, inspired by Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The four cylindrical pillars of the l的abside roundabout, decorated with archaic Romanesque capitals, contrast with the rest of the building, marked by Gothic capitals with water and acanthe. The church, which remained unfinished, underwent major changes, especially in the sixteenth century, where the central vessel was vaulted in a flamboyant Gothic style, condemning the temporary high windows.

Instabilities on the ground marked the history of the building, requiring major reconstructions in 1764-1766, including the demolition and reconstruction of the bell tower, as well as the recasting of the vaults of the first two spans. These works, although functional, preserved the interior Gothic character despite a sober neoclassical facade. In the 19th century, controversial changes, such as the addition of balustrades in the choir (1872) and the construction of a neo-Gothic chapel (1877), altered architectural harmony. Ranked a historic monument in 1978, the church still awaits a complete restoration, despite partial consolidations of the bell tower and vaults.

The church of Saint Nicholas was, until the Revolution, one of the three parishes of Meulan, alongside Notre-Dame and Saint-Jacques. After the merger of the parishes in 1793, it became the only Catholic church in the city, which was not destroyed by a petition from the parishioners. Its Romanesque tympanum, discovered in 1877 and depicting Daniel in the lions' pit, as well as capitals carved of symbolic figures, testify to an earlier building. Today, it remains an active place of worship, in the heart of a parish area comprising eight municipalities on the right bank of the Seine.

The exterior of the church, marked by a neo-classical facade of 1764 and dilapidated lateral walls, contrasts with the interior richness. The walkway, considered the oldest and most homogeneous element, is compared by historians to Domont or Poissy, although its primitive Gothic style distinguishes it. The hagiographic stained glass windows of the 19th century, like that of Sainte-Avoye, a local patron, add a cultural dimension to this complex architectural heritage, where Romanesque, Gothic and classical influences are mixed.

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