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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre de Duvy, located in the Oise region of Hauts-de-France, is a religious building marked by two major periods of construction: the 12th century for its Romanesque bell tower, one of the oldest in the region, and the 16th century for its nave and collateral of flamboyant Gothic style. Its rustic architecture and double-ship design, completed by a flat bedside, reflect successive changes, especially after the Hundred Years War. The bell tower, unusually positioned in front of the bedside, houses a Romanesque cradle vault, while the nave, enlarged to the west around 1160, retains a portal of that time, now masked by a porch.

The nave, un arched and covered with a walled ceiling, communicates with a vaulted north collateral, rebuilt at the end of the 15th century in a flamboyant style. This collateral, as high as the nave, has vaults with varied profiles, some of which evoke a transition between the radiant and flamboyant Gothic. The windows, complex networks, and large arcades in third-point emphasize this stylistic duality. Inside, a 17th-century wrought iron gate delimits the liturgical choir, while the furniture, almost intact since the 17th and 18th centuries, gives the building a rare authenticity.

The church, registered with the historical monuments in 1954 with its adjoining cemetery, benefited from major restorations in the late 20th and early 21st century. Its furniture includes baroque altarpieces, a 17th-century statue of St.Peter, and a 15th-century statuette from the blocked portal of the collateral. The remarkable elements also include a Gothic funerary slab of 1410, decorated with engraved effigies, and a bell named in 1581. Since the Revolution, the church depends on the parish of Crépy-en-Valois and hosts occasional celebrations.

Externally, the bell tower is distinguished by its austerity and its clogged Romanesque bays, while the lateral elevations reveal foothills and windows with various styles, testifying to the different construction campaigns. The western facade, flanked by asymmetric foothills, hides a 12th century portal under a modern porch. The cemetery, located in front of the façade, and the adjacent municipal land complete the whole, offering an unobstructed view of the building.

Historically, the parish of Duvy was part of the diocese of Senlis until the Revolution, before being attached to that of Amiens in 1801 and then to Beauvais in 1822. The accounts of the factory and the archaeological excavations of 2004 made it possible to specify certain phases of construction, although the absence of Roman apse and the exact origin of the parish remain uncertain. Today, St. Peter's Church, affiliated with the community of Auger-Saint-Vincent, embodies a preserved religious and architectural heritage, illustrating the evolution of styles and cultural practices in Picardia.

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