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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Nicolas Prioral Church of Saint-Leu-d-Esserent, located in the Oise department of Hauts-de-France, is a major monument of medieval religious architecture, founded in 1081 by Hugues de Dammartin. This count restores to the bishop of Beauvais the ecclesiastical properties of the village, allowing the creation of a priory entrusted to the abbey of Cluny. The present building, built between the middle of the 12th and early 13th centuries, replaces a first, more modest Romanesque church, whose remains were discovered during excavations in 1955. Its architecture, both Romanesque and Gothic, reflects the stylistic transitions of the period, with a western Romanesque massif completed around 1150 and an innovative Gothic nave built between 1190 and 1200.

The building of the church spans several decades, beginning with the bedside and the walk-by around 1160, followed by the choir and the nave. The Clunisian monks, supported by the Counts of Clermont, aim to create a building rivalling contemporary cathedrals, such as Senlis. The priory, disused after the French Revolution, saw its convent buildings sold and partially destroyed, while the church, classified as Historic Monument in 1840, underwent important restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially after the bombings of 1944 which severely damaged the choir.

The church is distinguished by its ambitious plan, without transept, with a nave of nine spans flanked by low side and a bedside with a walk-in and five radiant chapels. The triforium, innovative for the time, is backlit by bays, while the bows, among the first Gothic examples, ensure the stability of the structure. The western massif, incomplete with a single built tower, houses a vaulted room on the floor, perhaps intended to accommodate guests or serve as a library. The 19th century restorations, though radical, preserved the original architectural spirit, despite the partial loss of authenticity.

The priory, surrounded by an imposing, partially preserved enclosure, included today's missing or transformed buildings. The cloister, dated from the years 1220-1230, remains only partially, with an intact northern gallery and remains of the western gallery. The excavations and restorations carried out by architect Albert Fossard at the beginning of the 20th century allowed to rediscover and preserve key elements, such as vaulted rooms and underground quarries used as cellars. The church, always devoted to worship, embodies a rare testimony of Clunisian architecture in Île-de-France, mixing purity of lines and technical audacity.

Among the remarkable elements of the furniture are the gissant of Renaud de Dammartin (XIIIth century), a Virgin in majesty of the 14th century whose head is preserved at the Louvre, and a 14th century altarpiece depicting scenes of the life of Saint Nicholas. The stained glass windows, 18th-century stalls, and 16th-century baptismal fonts complete this heritage complex. Despite the successive destructions and restorations, the Prioral Church of Saint-Leu-d-Esserent remains an exceptional example of medieval religious art, marked by its clunisian history and its integration into the landscape of the Oise Valley.

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