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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Denis du Thillay, first mentioned in 1273, was linked to the abbey of Saint-Denis, which had seigneurial rights there from 1248. Although placed under the patronage of Saint Denis, his exact origin and founder remain uncertain. The parish then depended on the bishop of Paris, and the tithe was divided among several religious institutions, including the canons of Saint-Denis-du-Pas.

The major reconstruction of the present building took place in the 16th century, after the destruction of the Hundred Years War. The church was first consecrated in 1545, in a sober flamboyant Gothic style, then a second time in 1583, probably marking the completion of vaults with Renaissance vault keys. Germain de Marle, provost of the merchants of Paris, is sometimes cited as initiator of the works, although this attribution remains discussed.

In the 17th century, Nicolas Girard, lord of Thillay, added the chapel Saint-Nicolas to the south of the nave, dedicated to his patron saint. The church underwent minor modifications in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the laying of a panel in the chapel or the repair of the roof in 1838. In 1874, it was freed from adjacent buildings, and its stained glass windows, replaced in 1876 by glass windows of Charles Lévêque, illustrated religious scenes and local saints.

The church was listed as a historical monument in 1965 for its homogeneous architecture, mixing late Gothic simplicity and Renaissance details, such as its carved vault keys or blazes. Its furniture includes classified statues (Vierge à l'Enfant of the 14th century, Christ on the Cross of the 16th) and funeral plaques dating from the 13th to the 18th century, showing its central role in the local community.

The chapel Saint-Nicolas, now used as a changing room, houses a statue of Saint Denis cephalophore, recalling the martyrdom of the patron of the church. The 19th-century stained glass windows, offered by local donors such as Madame Hedelin-Orth, celebrate holy figures (Saint Geneviève, Saint Nicholas) and biblical episodes, strengthening the link between the building and the religious history of Val-d'Oise.

Finally, the church preserves traces of a liter funeral and deleted tombstones, including that of a 13th century knight, as well as commemorative plaques of parish priests and local notables. Its bell tower, typical of the postwar reconstruction of Cent Years, and its dissymmetric nave (nef north side only) make it a representative example of the rural heritage of France.

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