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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Ham, located in the town of the same name in the Hauts-de-France region, is an ancient abbey of the genovéfain canons transformed into a parish church after the Revolution. Its construction began in the 12th century, but the building, destroyed several times, was restored in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as between the two world wars. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1888 (after its crypt in 1862), it depicts a composite architecture, combining Romanesque and Gothic styles.

The church adopts a Latin cross plan, with a central nave, two sides, a transept and an elevated choir, typical of Benedictine ordinance. The Romanesque parts, visible in the lower levels and the western facade, contrast with the Gothic choir and transept (1180-1220), characterized by barlong vaults and capitals decorated with stylized palmettes. The bedside, slender and elegant, rises on three levels, supported by foothills and pierced windows in third-point.

The restorations of the 17th and 18th centuries mainly concerned the nave, destroyed by previous wars. In 1672, a bell tower was added above the crossover of the transept, and in 1701, a side gate was built. A fire in 1760, caused by lightning, ravaged the nave, which was rebuilt in the 18th century style by Prior Coste de Champeron. Inside the church is decorated with 32 stucco bas-reliefs depicting biblical scenes, while the crypt, classified in 1862, houses the tombstones of Odon IV, lord of Ham in the 13th century, and his wife Isabelle of Bethencourt.

The liturgical furniture includes an 18th-century high altar, classified as a historical monument in 1915, as well as a neo-classical organ rebuilt in 1950 by Beuchet-Debierre, after the destruction of the two world wars. The crypt, the oldest part (end XII - beginning XIII), is distinguished by its triangular vault with veins and carved capitals. The tombstones of Odon IV and Isabelle of Bethencourt, classified in 1888, are preserved there, offering a rare testimony of medieval funeral art.

The church organs, originally built in 1763 by Louis Péronart, were destroyed during the two world conflicts. The current instrument, installed in 1950, reuses the 1934 organ buffet, designed by Cavaillé-Coll-Convers. With 36 games and three keyboards, it is a remarkable example of the French neoclassical organ. The interior decoration, on the other hand, highlights evangelical and apostolic scenes, highlighting the spiritual and artistic role of the building throughout the centuries.

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