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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Rémi de Limé, located in the department of Aisne (Hauts-de-France), was rebuilt between 1928 and 1929 after its destruction in August 1918 during the withdrawal of the German army. The architect Julien Barbier, known for his achievements in the Paris region (such as the churches of Sainte-Geneviève in Cachan and Saint-Adrien in Courbevoie), designed a modern building inspired by the volumes of the Paleo-Christian basilicas and the features of traditional rural architecture. The interior structure, innovative for the time, rests on a parabolic vault in reinforced cement, supported by double arches in concrete, creating a unique and luminous space. The side chapels, dedicated to Saint Hubert and Notre-Dame-de-Liesse, are vaulted in a cradle, while the chapel of the baptismal fonts has a polygonal roof surmounted by a campanile.

The decor and furniture, though incomplete, were entrusted to renowned artists of the 1920s and 1930s: ironmaker Richard Desvallières, painters Jacques Joly and Louis Mazetier, master glassmaker Louis Barillet, and the Musaist Jean Gaudin. A plaster model of the western facade, providing a carved decoration, was never made. The church, blessed on June 29, 1930, was listed as historical monuments in 2007 for its architectural and heritage interest. During the work, the cult was celebrated in a temporary wooden hathouse, reflecting the resilience of the local community after the First World War.

Before its destruction, the ancient church of Limé, probably dated the thirteenth century, depended on the diocese of Soissons under the Old Regime. The cure was at the presentation of the bishop, and the tithe was shared between the archbishop of Reims and the seminary of Soissons. The reconstruction of 1928-1929, led by entrepreneur E. Lavaux de Braine and architect Julien Barbier, symbolizes the renaissance of the village after the ravages of the war. The present building, owned by the commune, combines technical modernity and historical references, while integrating artistic elements characteristic of the inter-war period.

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