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Origin and history

The Saint-Waast church of Rilly-sur-Aisne, located in the Ardennes department, is a 15th-century building, although traces of a first church date back to the 12th century. It has been a historic monument since 1920. The building is marked by a unique nave, a transept, and a choir with five vaulted sides on a cross of warheads. A red brick turret houses the staircase leading to the attic, and a small bell tower overlooks the nave. Inside, we find notable works such as a painting by Nicolas Perseval representing the Miracle of Saint Waast, as well as funerary slabs from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The local legend links the church to Saint Waast, whose miracle — the healing of a blind man — would have attracted Clovis' attention. This account, though annoyed in tradition, reinforces the sacred character of the place. After World War II, the church benefited from a restoration led by Robert Renard, chief architect of the Historical Monuments. Jacques Le Chevallier, a major figure in the renewal of this art in the 20th century, was entrusted with the creation of stained glass windows.

The church's stained glass windows form a set of 12 windows and an oculus, created by Le Chevallier. In the choir, the glass windows represent religious figures such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Dominique, Saint Jeanne of Arc, and Saint Waast, as well as historical scenes evoking the 1940 war. The southern transept illustrates the Nativity, while the northern transept depicts the Crucifixion. The windows of the nave, dedicated to the litany of the Virgin, and the oculus representing the Paschal Lamb, complete this remarkable ensemble with its geometric style and light play.

The church also underwent defensive changes in the seventeenth century, with the addition of murderers, reflecting the tensions of the time. The stair turret was built at the end of the same century, and the western facade of the nave was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century. These successive transformations bear witness to the architectural and historical evolution of the monument, while preserving its medieval heritage and its spiritual dimension.

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