Origin and history
The church of Saint-Rémy de Barbery, located in the Oise (Hauts-de-France), is a parish Catholic building whose nave dates back to the middle of the 12th century, while the eastern parts (transe and apse) date back to the 16th century. The third span of the nave, the ancient base of the bell tower, preserves a vault of primitive warheads of the 1160s, with simple foliage capitals inspired by Senlis Cathedral. The first two spans, redesigned in the modern era, have lost their medieval character, but the bedside of the sixteenth century is distinguished by its vast glazed surfaces and a flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance style, visible in the arches in full hanger and the windows networks.
In the 16th century, the second span of the Romanesque choir was replaced by an overflowing transept and a five-sided apse, a rare architectural party for a rural church of that time. The signing of 1568 by William IV Rose, bishop of Senlis and figure of the Catholic League, marks this enlargement. The renaissant influences are observed in the low-hanging arches and oculus windows, while the prismatic veins and uncarved caps remind the flamboyant gothic. The bedside, entirely made of cut stone, contrasts with the rest of the building, built in irregular rubble.
During the Revolution, the diocese of Senlis was abolished, and Barbery was successively attached to the dioceses of Beauvais and then to Amiens, before returning to Beauvais in 1822. In the 19th century, restorations (especially in 1893) modified the interior: false apparatus, neo-classical decor, and installation of a neo-Gothic stand. The ornamental glassware of the abside, offered in 1893 by Mr. Boucher-Heurlier, and the tiled stonework of the sanctuary date from this period. The church, registered for historical monuments in 1978, remains today affiliated with the parish of Saint-Rieul in Senlis, with monthly Masses.
The exterior reveals a picturesque silhouette, marked by a slate-framed bell tower above the third span, a stair turret adjacent to the façade, and a largely glazed bedside. The square foothills of the 12th century, recognizable by their larmies, are surrounded by elements of the 16th century, such as the windows in the middle of the hanger. The blind wall of the south crusillon and the asymmetry of the western facade, partially masked by a tree, add to its rural character. The flat tile roofs, except for the bell tower, and the absence of cornice highlight its rustic appearance.
Inside, the nave, capped and decorated with neo-classical mouldings, contrasts with the third vaulted span, where Romanesque capitals reworked during the Renaissance. The oriental parts, vaulted at the same height, form a harmonious whole despite their complexity: cross of the barlong transept, crusillons without formets, and apse with blunt veins. The windows, with flamboyant or reborn fillings, flood the space with light. A swimming pool decorated in the southern crusillon and a niche in the middle of the abside bear witness to the attention paid to liturgical details.
The Saint-Rémy church illustrates the rural architectural evolution, from Romanesque origins to the Renaissance, through modern changes. Its registration in 1978 recognizes its heritage value, despite the absence of classified furniture. Today integrated into a vast parish area centered on Senlis, it remains an active place of worship, celebrating each month a Sunday Mass in memory of Saint Remi of Reims, his patron.
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