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Origin and history

The church Saint-Nicolas de Beauval, located in the department of the Somme, replaces an anterior stone building whose only photographs remain. Its reconstruction in the 19th century was entirely financed by the Holy Family, founder of the textile company Saint Frères. Charles and Jules-Abel Saint, from Beauval, offered the commune the cost of earthwork, construction and decoration, at a total cost of 400,000 francs-gold. The church was consecrated on 6 August 1888 by the bishop of Amiens, marking the culmination of this mecenal project expressing their attachment to the village.

Designed by architect Victor Delefortrie in a neo-Gothic style, the church is distinguished by its brick structure and its tower culminating at 65 meters, topped by a 20-metre stone arrow. The interior and exterior decoration, sober but neat, uses Belgian, French and Italian marbles, while the stained glass windows, made by the Champigneulle and Neret workshops, illustrate biblical scenes and pay homage to the patron saint of the Holy Family. The building was partially destroyed by fire in 1925, requiring extensive restoration work.

The interior of the church, with a basilical plan, includes a nave of 10 meters high, the lower side and an octagonal apse choir. The polychrome oak furniture, carved by the Maison Buisine-Rigot in Lille, and the thirteen bells of the bell tower testify to the artistic richness of the building. After the fire of 1925, the organ was replaced by a new instrument of the Van Den Brande d'Amiens establishments, still in place today. The bell tower clock, identical to that of the Institut de France, highlights the prestige of this church, symbol of the local industrial and religious heritage.

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