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Origin and history

The Saint-Martin church of Attainville, located in Val-d'Oise, replaces an earlier building consecrated in 1529 but threatened with ruin in 1570. Despite limited finances, the parish borrowed 1,800 pounds to start work in 1572 under the direction of master mason Nicolas de Saint-Michel. The latter adopts a simple plan without transept, combining flamboyant Gothic elements with a neat Renaissance decor. The work progressed rapidly, but stopped in 1575 due to lack of funds, leaving the building unfinished.

The church was consecrated in September 1576 by Henri le Meignen, bishop of Digne, despite the absence of a western facade and permanent vaults. The missing elements, such as the belfry floor of the bell tower or the vaults of the nave, will only be added later, until 1817. Stylistic homogeneity is preserved thanks to respect for the original motifs, notably the ionic and doric capitals, the ove cornices, and the adorned vault keys. The building, which was listed as a historic monument in 1912, was exceptionally quick to build at the time.

The history of the church is linked to the Celestines of Paris, lords of Attainville since the fourteenth century after its acquisition by Philippe de Mézières. These religious, present until the Revolution, partially finance reconstruction. The current building combines a blind nave with five spans, bright sides, and a blind apse with cut edges, all arched with warheads. The bell tower, completed late, has a sober classical style, while the western facade, considered "poor" by Charles Terrasse, contrasts with the inner richness.

Inside, the sobriety of the high walls of the nave highlights carved capitals, doric or ionic friezes, and ivy vaults. The apse, probably vaulted in 1574, preserves a marteled shield of the Celestines. The lower side, with wide windows and third-point vaults, repeat the decorative motifs of the nave. The furniture includes a 16th-century statue of the Virgin, an eagle-lutrin from the 17th to 18th centuries, and a glass window from the last quarter of the 16th century.

The church, originally attached to the diocese of Paris, passed under that of Versailles after the Revolution, then at Pontoise in 1966. Today served by the parish of Domont, it welcomes Masses only once a month. Its architecture, marked by the ingenuity of Nicolas de Saint-Michel and the speed of its construction, makes it a rare example of Renaissance church in France, despite its later additions respectful of the original spirit.

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