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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre-du-Prieuré of Novy-Chevrières is one of the few remains of the Benedictine abbey founded in the 11th century after a conflict between the monks and Hugues I of Rethel. For five centuries it depended on the abbey of La Sauve-Majeure, accumulating goods and wealth. The present buildings date from the 3rd quarter of the 17th and 18th centuries, rebuilt by the monks of Saint-Vanne Abbey in Verdun. At the Revolution, the abbey was abolished, and its convent buildings served as a career.

The present church, classified as a historic monument in 1912, preserves remarkable elements such as the tombstone of Dom Paul, a witness of his abbatial past. The entrance door was opened at the end of the 18th century. Inside, there is a unique nave with warheads, a choir illuminated by glass windows, and marble altars, including a baroque altar. Two side altars, dedicated to the Virgin and Saint John the Baptist, are decorated with bas-reliefs.

Among the notable pieces are an organ buffet of the early eighteenth century, classified in 1911, religious paintings (including a reverse copy of a Poussin), and statues of Benedictine saints and monks. The building, marked by massive foothills and a 35-metre campanile, remains linked to the old Conventual building visible to the west. The church thus illustrates the architectural and spiritual heritage of Benedictines in the Ardennes.

The abbey, originally founded as a priory, became an influential religious centre before its partial destruction. The commemorative plaques inside attest to his episcopal consecration. Today, the parish church retains this heritage, mixing medieval and Baroque history, while remaining an active place of worship in the commune.

The classified objects, such as the lutrin, the baptismal fonts or the paintings by Jacques Wilbault, underline his artistic importance. The fusion of architectural styles (heads, foothills, campanile) reflects the evolutions between the 17th and 18th centuries, a period of reconstruction by the Vanists. The abolition of the abbey at the Revolution marked a turning point, transforming the places into a career and then a protected heritage.

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