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Origin and history

The Saint-Georges Church of Glennes, located in the delegated commune of Glennes (Les Septvallons, Aisne), is a religious building built between the third quarter of the 12th century and the end of the 13th century. The nave, flanked by low-sides, is extended by a non-protective transept and a semi-circular apse vaulted with warheads. The former massif, added at the end of the 12th century, houses a high room illuminated by eleven bays and surmounts a western gate underlined by a mess. The lower sides, expanded at the end of the 13th century, incorporate reinforced southern pillars, while the drip walls are taken over in the 17th or 18th centuries. The carved decoration of the choir and the transept has striking similarities with that of the church of Lhuys, suggesting a common workshop or even the same craftsman.

Glennes' history dates back at least to the ninth century, when Raoul, the bishop of Laon, ceded the land to his cathedral to establish a college of eight canons, dissolved during the Norman invasions. The first written mention of the church, however, dates from 1157, in an act of donation to the cathedral chapter. In the 13th century, Glennes became the seat of one of the seven provosts of the chapter of Laon, which remained its decimator until the Revolution. The building, classified as a Historic Monument in 1910, suffered major damage during the First World War (1918), particularly in the south side and the transept. Restored between 1922 and 1936 under the direction of architects Lucien Sallez, Paul Genuys and Jules-François Kaehrling, he had previously served as a military hospital in 1915-1916.

The restorations of the 19th century (the 1860s) and the 20th century (post-classification) have modified certain elements, such as the covering of the north side, where the structure is now apparent. The church, owned by the commune, preserves remarkable architectural features, including a vault in a steep cradle in the niche of the north altar and an additional floor in the anterior massif. Its ranking reflects its heritage importance, linked to its medieval history and its role in the diocese of Laon.

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