Church and former communal cemetery à Viel-Arcy dans l'Aisne

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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Viel-Arcy, located in the department of Aisne in the Hauts-de-France region, is a religious building whose oldest parts date back to the 12th century. The semicircular apse arched in cul-de-four and the nave, dated from this period, testify to its medieval origin. The building was enlarged in the 13th century by the addition of two arms forming transept, vaulted with warheads, while the built-up bell tower surmounts the north arm. The south arm, rebuilt in the 16th century as a chapel dedicated to Saint Fiacre, housed relics until World War I.

The history of the church is linked to Lisiard de Crépy, bishop of Soissons, who founded around 1125 the priory of Vieil-Arcy, attached to the abbey Saint-Pierre-aux-Monts de Châlons. Under the Ancien Régime, the parish depended on the diocese of Soissons, and its management was shared between the priory's beneficiary, the commander of the command of Mont-de-Soissons and the priory of Notre-Dame de Braine. The church was badly damaged during the German retreat in 1918 (the collapse of walls, vaults and bell tower), and was restored between 1925 and 1930 by architect Lucien Sallez, under the aegis of the Historical Monuments. It has been classified since 1919 for the building and 1933 for the former communal cemetery and its retaining wall.

The architectural elements reflect successive changes: the nave and the south side, ceiling with apparent solives, contrast with the north side covered by a simple panel. The walls of the lower side were changed in modern times, illustrating the evolution of liturgical and community needs. Today, the church remains a landmark witness to the picardic religious heritage, marked by the conflicts of the twentieth century and the subsequent restorations.

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