Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Beauvois-en-Vermandois is an emblematic monument of this rural commune of Aisne, in the Hauts-de-France region. Although its initial construction period is not specified in the sources, its history is deeply linked to the upheavals of the twentieth century. The village, erected as a parish in 1238 after separating from the hamlet of Tombes, saw its church, among other buildings, completely destroyed during the First World War. The Germans, occupying the area between 1914 and 1918, blasted and set fire to the village to build the Hindenburg Line, a defence line on the Saint Quentin Canal.

The reconstruction of the church and village spanned more than a decade after the Armistice of 1918. The inhabitants, evacuated to Vraignes-en-Vermandois during the conflict, gradually returned to rebuild their homes in precarious conditions, with temporary houses. The population, which had 465 inhabitants in 1911, fell to 284 in 1921 because of the suffering and material damage. In recognition of these trials, the commune received the War Cross 1914-1918 on 17 October 1920. The local memorial pays tribute to the 12 soldiers and 5 civilian victims of Beauvois-en-Vermandois.

Before these tragic events, Beauvois-en-Vermandois was an agricultural and rural village, crossed by important trade routes in the 18th century. A post relay was established there, as evidenced by Cassini's map, allowing travellers and coaches to change horses. The village then depended on the Marquisat of Caulaincourt, which collected tolls on goods passing through its roads. These rights, fixed by a ruling of the Conseil d'État du Roi Louis XV in 1734, concerned various products such as linen, canvas, or household utensils.

The territory of Beauvois-en-Vermandois was also marked by previous conflicts, notably during the Franco-German war of 1870-1871, where fighting took place in the commune on 18 January 1871. These events are part of a rich local history, where the church, as a place of worship and assembly, has always played a central role in community life. Today, the village retains a predominantly agricultural land use (94.4% in 2018), reflecting its rural heritage.

Architecturally, the present church is the result of reconstruction after 1918, after its systematic destruction by German forces. The remains of the old church, such as those of the hamlet of Tombes and its 19th century wooden windmill, remain only in archives and old maps, such as the Cassini map. These historical documents allow us to trace the evolution of the village, from its appearance in 1145 under the name of Belvarium to its current name, adopted to distinguish it from other homonymous localities in the region.

External links