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Origin and history

The church Saint-Martin-et-Saint-Léonard de Vez, located in the Oise department in the Hauts-de-France region, is a parish Catholic building marked by two major architectural periods: the 13th century for its Gothic choir and the 16th century for its north side. Its most remarkable part is its rectangular choir, dated from the years 1225-1230, of a sober elegance, flanked by a bell tower built in the early 13th century. The nave, not vaulted and dating from the mid-12th century, preserves a partially apparent frame with carved engulfants, while its western facade, preserved without alteration, bears witness to a transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles.

The bell tower, located north of the choir, houses on the ground floor a chapel dedicated to the Virgin. In the 16th century, large arches of flamboyant Gothic style were opened in the north wall of the nave, allowing the addition of a low side. The church, listed as a historical monument in 1926, was attached to the diocese of Beauvais after the Revolution. Today, affiliated with the parish of Saint-Sébastien in Crépy-en-Valois, it hosts Sunday Masses about every two months.

The interior reveals a contrast between the austerity of the nave, with its 18th century woodwork and its false vaults in cradle, and the richness of the Gothic choir. The latter, untied to the south, has a triplet of bedside lancets and capitals carved with stylized hooks. The woodwork of the choir, dating from the early eighteenth century, includes Corinthian pilasters and a altarpiece representing the Resurrection. On the outside, the western facade, with its triple archvolt portal and massive foothills, illustrates the Roman-Gothic transition, while the bell tower, without ornamentation, rises into three levels.

Among the furniture, six elements are listed historical monuments, including paintings of the 15th and 17th centuries, a statue of Saint Nicaise, and an 18th century eagle-lutrin. The woodwork, although unprotected, adds to the inner harmony, especially in the chapel of the Virgin, where an ionic altar frame a Assumption. The church, though modest in its dimensions, embodies the architectural and liturgical evolution of the region, from medieval origins to modern restorations.

The history of the parish remains partially unknown, although its connection to the dean of Coyolles under the Ancien Régime and its dependence on the bishop of Soissons are attested. The patron saints, Martin de Tours and Léonard de Noblat, reflect a local devotion, the latter being rare in the north of France. After the Revolution, Vez became a branch including the former parish of Éméville. The restoration campaigns in the 20th and 21st centuries have preserved this heritage while adapting to contemporary cultural needs.

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