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Origin and history

The Saint-Vaast church of Angicourt, located in the Oise (Hauts-de-France), is a parish Catholic building marked by two major construction campaigns. The nave, its sides and the southern crusillon, of primitive Gothic style, date from 1170-1180, while the choir hall, with large windows with elegant reamping, was erected around 1240-1245. This choir is distinguished by its generous dimensions, contrasting with the nave, a rare witness of the first Gothic period in rural areas. Its sexpartite vaults, exceptional for a village church, impose an original layout of the supports.

Originally dedicated to St Stephen, the church was placed under the name of St Vaast after 537, when Clotaire I offered Angicourt to the bishop in thanks for his advice. The body of Saint Vaast was laid there to protect him from Norman invasions, linking the building to the abbey of Saint Vaast d'Arras. In the ninth century, Charles II the Chauve confirmed by charter the donation of Angicourt to this abbey. However, in 1024, the abbey exchanged Angicourt with Jumièges under episcopal pressure, before recovering it around 1070-1080. Under the Ancien Régime, the seigneury remained the property of Saint-Vaast, while the parish was under Saint-Germer-de-Fly Abbey.

The architecture reveals three distinct campaigns: late Romanesque parts (1140-1150) include an oriented chapel and quarter piles of the bell tower; the Gothic nave (1170-1180) introduces bows and sexpartite vaults; Finally, the choir-halle (1240-1245) unifies the transept and the choir with elegant berries. The bell tower, with finely-worked groves, and the western porch date from this last period. Despite its early ranking in 1862, the church, left abandoned, was restored in the 20th century after damage caused by the two world wars.

The medieval furniture includes a 12th century baptismal tank, a novel altar, and a 13th century statue of Saint Louis. A 13th century wall painting, representing Christ the Judge and a holy bishop, has now disappeared. The baptismal fonts, classified in 1862, even precede the current building. The church, affiliated with the parish of Saint-Martin du Liancourtois, illustrates the complex links between the abbeys of Saint-Vaast, Jumièges, and the bishop of Beauvais, reflecting the political and religious issues of the Middle Ages.

The restorations of the 20th century, led by architects H. Chaine (1907) and A. Collin (1920-1938), saved the building from ruin. The work will include the resumption of vaults, arches, and bell tower, as well as the lowering of the exterior floor to combat moisture. The apential roofs of the lower side, initially masonry with scales, were replaced, partially obstructing the high bays of the nave. Today, the church retains its irregular cruciform plan, marked by dissymmetries to the east, and its sober elevation, typical of the Roman-Gothic transition.

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