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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativity church of La Neuville-en-Hez, located in the Oise (Hauts-de-France), is a building with various architectural influences. Its Romanesque bell tower, dating from around 1140, is the oldest part, while the large arcades of the nave, already Gothic, date back to the late 12th or early 13th century. The flamboyant Gothic choir was built at the hinge of the 15th and 16th centuries, marking a major stylistic transition. The nave and the coasts, rebuilt in 1740 in a flamboyant anachronistic style for the time, illustrate a local desire for aesthetic coherence.

The history of the church is linked to the family of the Counts of Clermont, notably Raoul de Clermont, quoted as a potential founder in 1187 by Louis Graves, although this date was contested by Eugène Müller in favour of 1140. In the 13th century, the cure was transferred from Courlieu to La Neuville-en-Hez, under the influence of the Counts, with pontifical bubbles (1249–169) formalizing this change. Jeanne de Châtillon, widow and daughter of Countess Mahaut, in 1251 offered a perpetual right to use Hez-Froidmont wood for heating and construction, confirmed by Saint-Louis in 1259.

The monument underwent several changes, notably in the 14th century (reconstruction of the cruises in radiant style) and in the 18th century (flooding of the nave, classical facade completed in 1790). Ranked a historic monument in 1927, the church preserves pre-revolutionary furniture and stained glass windows, such as that of the Crucifixion (workshop Leprince, Beauvais). Its cruciform plan, masked by unified roofs, and its roman bell tower with geminied berries make it a unique example of superimposition of styles.

Under the Old Regime, the church depended on the diocese of Beauvais and the dean of Clermont. After the Revolution, it was temporarily attached to Amiens (1801–22) before returning to Beauvais. Today integrated into the parish of Saint-Louis de Bresles, it no longer hosts regular Masses. Its furniture, including statues (Vierge à l'Enfant, Saint Joseph) and an 18th century communion grid, bears witness to its rich liturgical past.

The building is distinguished by its five-sided apse, its ivy vaults and third-line vaults, and its capitals carved with hooks. The 18th century modifications, like the wavy pillars added to the Romanesque arcades, reflect a desire for modernization while preserving the medieval heritage. The western facade, sober and classic, contrasts with the interior Gothic elements, while the bell tower, the only visible Romanesque vestige, dominates the whole.

The site, clear and bordered by Place Verte, offers a clear view of its elevations. The foothills of the choir, decorated with dais and hooks, and the flamboyant windows with complex networks (buffets, speckets) highlight the decorative richness of the building. Despite the transformations, the church remains a testimony of the architectural and social evolutions of the region, from the Counts of Clermont to the Revolution.

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