Church of Bemont à Russy-Bémont dans l'Oise

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Laurent de Bémont, located in Russy-Bémont, Oise, is a religious building whose origins date back to the early twelfth century, as evidenced by its Romanesque façade. The nave, built in the last quarter of the 12th century in a primitive Gothic style, is marked by quadripartite vaults and an alternation of strong and weak supports, a rare arrangement in the region. The bas-cotés and the choir, on the other hand, were built in four distinct campaigns during the first half of the 16th century, illustrating the transition between the flamboyant Gothic and the Renaissance.

The bell tower, overlooking the building with its 25 meters high, was erected in the second half of the sixteenth century. Its hybrid style, blending flamboyant elements and Renaissance, is found in the geminied bays of the belfry floor and carved decorations (cherub heads, scallop shells). The interior reveals a notable architectural complexity, with arches of warheads of various profiles, capitals carved from flat or polylobed leaves, and arch keys decorated with masks or foliage.

Under the Ancien Régime, Bémont depended on the diocese of Senlis, while the neighbouring hamlet of Russy-Montigny was under Soissons. The church, owned by the bishop of Senlis, was the centre of an independent parish until 1825, when it joined Russy-Montigny. Classified as a historical monument in 1927, it houses remarkable furniture, including fifteen pieces (statues, retables) now preserved at the Musée de l'Archerie et du Valois de Crépy-en-Valois. The Pietà of the 14th century and the Virgin with the Child of the beginning of the same century are among the oldest works.

The building, of modest dimensions, features a nave of two spans, a triangular apse choir and asymmetrical sides. The exterior elevations, soberly treated, contrast with the interior richness: double doucin arcades, double Renaissance profile, and carved lamp-ends. The sacristy, backed by the bedside of the south side, and the partially blocked windows of the bedside testify to the transformations undergone over the centuries. Despite its austere appearance, St.Lawrence Church is a completed example of picardic religious art, marked by successive influences.

The Masses, celebrated about three times a year, recall its present role in the parish of Saint-Sébastien in Crépy-en-Valois. The adjoining cemetery, bordered by private properties, and the position overlooking the valley of the Autumn highlight its anchoring in the local landscape. The woodwork of the choir, the missing stained glass windows and traces of architectural polychromy evoke a past decorative richness, now partially erased.

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