Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Pierre de Barbonval church, located in the commune of Septvallons (locality of Barbonval, formerly Longueval-Barbonval), is a building whose nave dates back mainly to the 12th century. It was listed as a historic monument in 1922, recognizing its heritage value. Its architecture combines Romanesque and Gothic elements, with a nave extended in the 13th century by a flat bedside choir covered with warhead vaults. The bell tower, characteristic, visually separates the nave from the choir.

The monument bears the traces of the historical conflicts: the arms of the transept and the sides of the nave were destroyed, probably during the Hundred Years War or the Wars of Religion. An outer column, vestige of this missing transept, still remains. In the 17th or 18th century, a sacristy was added against the nave. The church, formerly dependent on the Diocese of Soissons, was badly damaged in 1918 during the German retreat, then restored between 1921 and 1923 under the direction of architect Lucien Sallez.

During the restoration work, a temporary wooden chapel was installed to maintain worship. The building, a communal property, today preserves architectural elements bearing witness to its evolution, such as the two arches of the choir warheads or the twin arches of the bell tower-wall. Its history reflects the political and religious upheavals of Picardia, between destruction and reconstruction.

External links