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Origin and history

The Saint Peter's church of Heilly was built in the second half of the eighteenth century, between 1778 and 1780, on a new location in the centre of the village. This move is part of the project to embellish the castle of Heilly by the family of Choiseul-Gouffier, which led to a complete renovation of the village. The church replaced an old chapel dedicated to Sainte-Anne, a local patron saint, and was built of stone, adopting a neo-classical style marked by a sober two-storey facade, a slate-shaped bell tower and a half-circle choir.

Damaged during World War I, the church benefited from a restoration in the inter-war period, preserving its 18th century stylistic unit. The glass windows, made by the Amienese master glassmaker Pierre Pasquier (some of which date back to 1938), as well as interior elements such as the grilles of the choir attributed to Jean Veyren, testify to these interventions. A last glass window, added in 2018 by In Vitroux, completes the whole.

Ranked a historic monument by decree of 11 June 2001, the church houses a remarkable movable heritage: wooden statues from the 17th to 18th centuries (including a classified Saint Anne and the Virgin), canvases (such as The Tombing, 19th century), and a marble master altar. The bell tower houses three bells, the oldest of which, "Adelaide", dates from 1780. A restoration campaign carried out between 2014 and 2016 kept this heritage.

The building also illustrates local history: until the 18th century, the church was located in the enclosure of the castle of Heilly, before being moved to integrate into the village's new route. Its architecture, blending classicism (pilasters, pediment) and baroque (volutes, sundial), reflects the artistic influences of the period. Today, it remains a symbol of the religious and historical heritage of the Hauts-de-France.

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