Origin and history
The church Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul d'Acy-en-Multien, located in the Oise (Hauts-de-France), is an emblematic building of the transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles. Built mainly in the middle of the 12th century, it is distinguished by its bell tower base, one of the oldest in the department, dating from the years 1110-1120. Its warhead vaults, among the first in the region, and archaic capitals testify to the architectural innovations of the time. The choir, erected around 1140, already announces primitive Gothic, while the nave, higher, dates from the 1150s.
The base of the bell tower, the oldest part, features a vault of warheads in the middle of the hangar and capitals influenced by Norman art. The choir, with its capitals carved of acanthe leaves and its slightly curved vaults, reflects a pioneering aesthetic and technical research. The nave, a basilical plane, is marked by a variety of profiles of vaults and arches, illustrating the experiments of the time. The large arcades, in third-point and unground, recall the late Romanesque churches of Beauvais.
The church underwent subsequent changes, including the addition of lateral chapels to the north and south of the second span of the choir, probably between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. The bell tower, initially square, was raised by an octagonal floor around 1160, then equipped with a stone arrow in the 15th century, causing problems of stability. Despite repairs in the 19th century, some elements, such as wet-throated capitals, remain unrestored.
The church was listed as historical monuments in 1926. It houses modest furniture, including a baroque altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin Mary and glass fragments from the 16th century. Joined the parish of Saint Jeanne d'Arc du Multien, it still hosts Sunday Masses. Its architecture, although seemingly sober, reveals a major historical and stylistic richness for the region.
Under the Ancien Régime, Acy-en-Multien was an important town, seat of a dean with up to 51 parishes. The church, linked to the diocese of Meaux and then Beauvais, played a central role in local religious life. Relics, such as those of Saint Sabine discovered in 1688, and burials, including that of Charles Louis de Lorraine in 1668, underline its historical importance. The funeral liter of the Acy Gift family, painted in 1750, also attests to its connection with the local nobility.
The building, irregularly oriented, combines nave, low-side, transept and vaulted choir of warheads, with the exception of the apse. The exterior elevations, although lacking rich ornamentation, reveal a neat stone-cut construction. The bell tower, with its three floors and Gothic arrow, remains the most remarkable element on the outside. Despite alterations, the church retains a rare stylistic consistency, making it a valuable witness to medieval architectural evolution in Picardia.
Announcements
Please log in to post a review