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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Vast de Moreuil found its origins in the local abbey, abolished in 1791 during the Revolution. The ancient Abbatial Church then became parish, and its nave and choir were rebuilt in the 19th century. In 1863, under the impulse of the parish priest-dean Voclin, the right side nave was rebuilt and the building raised, with vaults resting on stone pillars signed by sculptors Mallot & Bandin. Only parts of the 16th century choir and side chapels were preserved. In 1868, a third aisle was added, and in 1870, a new altar was offered by the children of Charles Deflandre, Marguillier. The bishop of Amiens, Bishop Bataille, consecrated the restored church in 1874.

The bell tower and the 16th century Renaissance portal, emblematic of the Abbey, were destroyed in 1918 during the Battle of the Kaiser. A new facade, designed by architects Charles Duval and Emmanuel Gonse between 1929 and 1931, was erected in reinforced concrete with a brick wall, inspired by the churches of the Perret brothers. The sculptor Raymond Couvénes decorated the porch of a frieze representing saints and Saint Vaast, legendary founder of the abbey, surrounded by angels. The stained glass windows, originally created by Jean Hébert-Stevens and André Rinuy, were destroyed in 1940 and replaced after 1945 by Raoul Cagnart. Inside is home to the painted decorations of Henri Marret, the mosaics of Jean Gaudin, and Roethinger's organs restored in 2016.

The church, protected as historical monuments since 1994, illustrates a reconstruction combining medieval heritage and 20th century innovations. Its 62-metre quadrangular bell tower, with a concrete arrow, dominates the city centre. The chapel of the Dead, illuminated by claustras, and the stand adorned with a large window recall the successive transformations of the building. The bones discovered on the spot were placed under the high altar, where the crypt of Cardinal de Créquy, the 15th century necropolis, was once found.

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