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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Saint-Barthélemy Church, located in Villeneuve-sur-Verberie, Oise, is a 12th and 16th century religious building marked by a transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles. Its construction began around 1160-1180, with a choir with carved capitals inspired by Senlis Cathedral. The portals, Gothic influence, and the imposing bell tower reflect this stylistic duality. A northern chapel, added in the 13th century, and a flamboyant lower side (15th century) complete its dissymmetric plan.

The choir, the oldest part, preserves Romanizing vaults and rare historical capitals in Oise, depicting biblical scenes such as the Nativity or the Leak in Egypt. These sculptures, dated from the 1170s, evoke the soissonese art. The nave, vaulted in the flamboyant period, contrasts with the sobriety outside, where the flat buttresses and the bays in the middle still remind the novel.

Ranked a historic monument in 1921, the church underwent reshuffles after the Hundred Years' War, including the partial reconstruction of the nave and the addition of the north side. Its furniture includes classified statues (Vierge of the fourteenth century, Saint Louis of the seventeenth) and painted panels of the sixteenth century. Today affiliated with the parish of Saint-Rieul in Senlis, it hosts monthly offices, perpetuating its central role in local life.

The building is part of the medieval landscape of Valois, marked by the 12th century. Villeneuve-sur-Verberie, a foundation linked to the forest of Halatte, saw his church mentioned for the first time between 1180 and 1202 in a letter from Philippe de Dreux, bishop of Beauvais. The parish, initially under the patronage of the Priory Saint-Symphorien of Pont-Sainte-Maxence, was under the diocese of Beauvais until the Revolution.

The bell tower, disproportionate for the size of the church, dominates the village with its geminied bays and carved capital columns. Its belfry floor, decorated with billets and mascarons, contrasts with the simplicity of the lower parts. The staircase turret, contemporary of the north crusillon (XIII century), reflects the successive adaptations of the building, while the flat bedside, redesigned during the Renaissance (circa 1530-1550), incorporates a flamboyant bay with hybrid emplacement.

The archaeological sources (Jean-Marc Popineau, Dominique Vermand) highlight the originality of his capitals, inspired by the Soissonais, and his role in local history. Despite the lack of documentation on its foundation, the church remains a remarkable example of Picardy religious architecture, mixing Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance influences.

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