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Origin and history

The church Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Fitz-James, located in the Oise (Hauts-de-France), was probably founded by the Abbey of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire in the 12th century. The oldest parts, such as the base of the bell tower and some foothills, date back to the 1140s, while the Romanesque façade, now extinct, was replaced in the 19th century by a neo-Gothic pastiche. The building was enlarged in the 16th century with a southern collateral and a flamboyant choir, reflecting the architectural evolution of the region.

The foundation of the parish dates back to at least the twelfth century, linked to a seigneurial donation to the abbey of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, which established a priory there. In 1710, the village of Warty was renamed Fitz-James after the acquisition of the seigneury by Jacques Fitz-James, Marshal of France. The priory and the parish were reunited in 1767, marking the end of their institutional separation. The church, partially destroyed and restored in the 19th century, preserves Romanesque elements such as the arch of warheads at the base of the bell tower and carved capitals.

The interior of the church reveals a two-ship dissymmetric structure, with a Romanesque nave and a flamboyant choir. The base of the bell tower, vaulted from the beginning, presents remarkable novel capitals, some of which represent symbolic motifs like interlaced snakes. The 16th century stained glass windows, classified as historical monuments, illustrate religious scenes and donors, while the baptismal fonts and several statues complete the protected furniture.

The exterior elevation, marked by buttresses and redesigned windows, shows a cohabitation between Romanesque and flamboyant styles. The western façade, reinvented in the 19th century, incorporates a Renaissance niche housing a statue of St.Peter. Despite the controversial restorations, the church preserves authentic elements such as the partial beauvaisine cornice and 16th century graffiti on the foothills.

Ranked a historic monument in 1951, Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Church remains an architectural witness to medieval and modern transformations. Today affiliated with the parish of the Heart of Christ in Clermont, it hosts monthly masses and preserves an exceptional artistic and historical heritage, including its stained glass windows and classified sculptures.

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