Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Noël-Saint-Martin, located in the eponymous hamlet of Villeneuve-sur-Verberie (Oise), is a Romanesque building dating back to the second half of the 11th century. His bell tower, inspired by that of Ruis, was added shortly afterwards, while the vaulted choir of warheads, built around 1120-1135, was one of the oldest examples of this type in the department. The acanthe leafed capitals of exceptional quality, and the ground formet arches make them a rare architectural specimen, linked to the priory Saint-Martin-des-Champs of Paris by its history.

Ranked a Historical Monument in 1895 after a century of post-revolutionary abandonment, the church was saved in extremis by restoration campaigns in the 20th century. Its asymmetrical transept, consisting of a primitive Gothic north crusillon (circa 1150) and a bell tower base transformed into a southern chapel in the flamboyant period, illustrates its architectural evolution. The excavations of the 1970s revealed traces of a missing north side and confirmed the absence of a south side, despite visible blocked arcades.

The history of the parish, attached to the diocese of Soissons until 1789, was marked by medieval conflicts (such as the 872 dispute between the bishops of Beauvais and Soissons) and an early demographic decline. Disused after the Revolution, the church was rehabilitated in the 1980s-1990s thanks to the action of Abbé Joseph Kuchcinski and volunteers, allowing the occasional restoration of worship. Its classified furniture, including a 14th century Virgin with Child and 16th century baptismal fonts, completes its heritage interest.

The Romanesque choir, adorned with outside friezes with palmettes and carved modillons, and the northern crusillon, with historic capitals, bear witness to remarkable artistic know-how. The successive construction campaigns — nave (XIe), choir (1120-1135), northern crusillon (circa 1150), and flamboyant reshuffles (XVe-XVIe) — reflect a constant adaptation to liturgical needs and dominant styles. The building, now affiliated with the parish of Saint-Rieul de Senlis, remains a rare example of Romanesque architecture preserved in Hauts-de-France.

Modern restorations, including those of the 1980s, have stabilized the structure and restored missing elements, such as stained glass windows or paved floor. Despite its geographical isolation (there are only a few houses in the hamlet), the church attracts attention for its architectural innovations, such as the first formed arcs of the region, and its link with Parisian workshops via the priory Saint-Nicolas-d'Acy, a subsidiary of Saint-Martin-des-Champs.

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