Saint Peter's Church à Vaumoise dans l'Oise

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Pierre de Vaumoise, located in the Oise region of Hauts-de-France, was built around the middle of the 12th century in a style of transition between Romanesque and Gothic. Its initial plane consisted of a three-span basilical nave, a non-overhanging transept, a central hemicycle apse flanked by two apsidioles, and a central bell tower above the transept cross-section. The eastern parts, in particular the transept, the apse and the apsidioles, illustrate this pivotal period with Romanesque elements (edge vaults, hemicycle plan) and Gothic innovations (gothic vaults, arches in third-point, capitals carved of acanthe leaves and water). The sculpture of the capitals, of exceptional quality for a rural church, rivals that of the prestigious buildings of the time, such as Senlis Cathedral.

The Hundred Years' War caused the destruction of the nave and central bell tower, rebuilt in the 16th century in a simplified style, with a unique nave without sideways and a functional bell tower above the north crusillon. The repairs of this time, though rough, retained the original eastern parts, including the arches of the apse and the cross of the transept, as well as the arches in the cradle of the apsidioles. The church, originally attached to the diocese of Soissons, was affiliated with the diocese of Beauvais after the Revolution and then with the parish of Saint-Sébastien de Crépy-en-Valois in 1996. An integral restoration, started in 2013, led to its inscription to historical monuments on 15 October 2014, notably for the rarity of its stone roofs and the richness of its carved decoration.

The church bedside, with its three hemicycle apses covered with spherical caps, is a unique example in the region. The buttresses with ressalts, the bays in the middle of the cintre surmounted by eyebrow bands, and the corniche beauvaisine underline the Romanesque heritage, while the broken arches and arches of warheads announce the Gothic. The stone roofs, restored around 1970 after being hidden under plates, were again threatened by infiltrations, requiring a new construction campaign. Inside, the nave, devoid of character after its reconstruction, contrasts with the eastern parts, where the acanthe-leaved capitals and the 12th century warheads bear witness to remarkable know-how for the time.

Saint Peter's church, free of adjoining buildings to the west, north and east, is enclaved to the south by a private garden. Its elevation overlooks the street thanks to a support wall, with a level access by ramps. The western gate, untied due to a wall, and the bays in the middle of the facade reflect the changes of the 16th and 19th centuries. The furniture, although few, does not have any classified or registered items to date. The building, owned by the commune, remains a valuable testimony of the religious architecture of the mid-12th century, mixing Romanesque traditions and Gothic innovations in a rural context.

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