Saint-Fursy Church of Lesboeufs dans la Somme

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Origin and history

Saint-Fursy de Lesboeufs Church is located in the Somme department, north of Peronne. It replaces an earlier building completed in 1840, whose choir remained only before its total destruction during the September 1916 bombings during the Battle of the Somme. The First World War completely razed the village and its church, requiring complete reconstruction in the interwar period.

The reconstruction adopted a traditional basilical plan, without transept, with a nave and a brick choir, surmounted by a dardian roof. The tower tower, 50 meters high, is reinforced by stone foothills and dominates the entrance. A notable feature is the statue of St. Fursy, dressed as an abbot, overtaking a lying ox, carved by Marius Giot. This work commemorates a medieval legend: the remains of Fursy de Peronne, carried by oxen, were allegedly the subject of a dispute between Governor Haynuon and Erchinoald, mayor of the Neustria Palace, to decide his place of burial.

According to tradition, the funeral cart pulled by the ox stopped at Lesboeufs, sealing the choice of location. This legend, linked to local history, explains the name of the village (Lesboeufs) and the symbolic importance of the church. The current building, typical of post-Great War reconstruction, also illustrates the massive use of brick in the picardic religious architecture of the 20th century.

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