Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Maurice church of Nouvion-en-Ponthieu, located in the west of the Somme department, depended in the 12th century on the chapter of the Saint-Vulfran church of Abbeville. This religious building, dedicated to St.Mauritius, replaced an earlier building dating from the 15th century, of which today only the stone bell tower remains.

In 1862, the church was enlarged by the addition of the Notre-Dame des Victoires chapel. Eleven years later, in 1873, a decision was taken to completely rebuild the building, with the exception of the original bell tower. The new building adopted a neo-Gothic style, with a brick structure and stone-framed windows. The preserved tower was surmounted by an arrow covered with slate.

The interior of the church houses several works protected by historical monuments, including a 16th century wooden Virgin of Pitié, a neo-Gothic high altar in stone and stucco, as well as stained glass made after 1875 by the Bulteau-Jupin workshop. Notable elements include a carved oak pulpit, stalls decorated with characters, and a painting depicting Saint Maurice on horseback, painted by Dame Lœillet, an artist from Abbeville.

The architectural features of the church combine traditional basilal plan, unique nave, and polygonal apse choir, without transept. This mixture of styles and eras reflects the successive transformations of the monument, from its medieval origins to its reconstruction in the 19th century.

The building is part of a historical context marked by the influence of regional religious chapters, such as that of Saint-Vulfran d'Abbeville, and reflects the evolution of architectural and artistic practices in Picardia, notably through the adoption of the neo-Gothic style and the preservation of older elements.

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