Saint Vaast Church of Bailleul en Seine-Maritime

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Key figures

Origin and history

Saint-Vaast Church, located in Bailleul (North Department, Hauts-de-France region), replaces an earlier building destroyed in 1918. The original hallekerk, made up of three naves, was razed during World War I fighting. This monument also bears the name Sint Vaast Kerk in Flemish and Dutch, reflecting the linguistic heritage of the Flemish region.

The reconstruction was entrusted to architects Louis Marie Cordonnier and his son Louis-Stanislas Cordonnier. The work, begun in 1924, was completed in 1932. The adopted style, Romano-Byzantine, is distinguished by elements such as Christ pantocrator carved on the tympanum of the central portal. Inside, art deco influence dominates, while twenty-three stained glass windows narrate the history of Bailleul.

The right side portal features a representation of the Blessed Virgin surrounded by traditional corporations, evoking the economic and social life of the Dantan. The presbytery houses a 17th century statue of the Virgin, the only explicitly mentioned vestige of the ancient church. The current building thus embodies both an architectural renaissance and a tribute to the local heritage.

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