Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Crépin-et-Saint-Crépinien, located in the Oise department in the Hauts-de-France region, is a religious building of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Its construction began at the end of the 12th century with bedside, marked by early Romanesque and Gothic influences. The choir and transept, built in the early 13th century, share structural similarities with the nearby church of Méru, especially in the arrangement of the sexpartite supports and vaults. The capitals, decorated with polylobed leaves, reflect the Gothic art radiating from the second quarter of the 13th century. The nave, which had been radically redesigned in the 16th century, lost its original characteristics, while the sides, added and partially demolished, were rebuilt around 1850.

The octagonal stone arrow, erected in the mid-16th century, marks the transition between the flamboyant Gothic style and the Renaissance. It replaces a bell tower damaged during the Hundred Years War, as evidenced by an inscription dated 1541, originally misinterpreted as 1450. The interior of the church preserves traces of ancient polychromy, especially in the choir and the crusillons of the transept, where the sexpartite dogive vaults and the capitals carved from rotating or polylobed leaves attract attention. The stained glass windows, woodwork and murals, partially restored since the 1980s, complement this artistic heritage.

Ranked a historic monument in 1932, the church benefited from several restoration campaigns, notably between 2004 and 2006, where the interior was completely redone, including sacristy, pulpit, benches and stained glass windows. The last campaign, centered on the bell tower and the exterior elevations, preserved the Renaissance arrow, unique in the region by its hybrid style. The church, originally independent parish, is now attached to the parish of Saint-Martin de Méru-lès-Sablons since 2020, after several territorial reorganizations linked to the decrease in the number of priests.

The church furniture has six elements classified as historical monuments, including the 16th century baptismal fonts, decorated with carved heads and trompe-l'oeil hangings, and an 18th century eagle-lutrin at the foot of a doric column. A 16th century Christ on the Cross, a statue of Christ the Savior and a funeral slab of 1572, dedicated to John of Villiers of L-Isle-Adam and his wives, complete this ensemble. The representations of the patron saints, Crepin and Crepin, who were martyred under Emperor Maximian Hercules, are omnipresent in the setting, recalling the name of the church.

The exterior of the building is distinguished by its stone arrow, considered to be heavy but singular, and its western portal with a missing tympanum, topped by a decorated gable. The foothills, radiating windows and stair turrets, like that of the north crusillon, illustrate the architectural evolutions between the 13th and 16th centuries. Recent restorations have made it possible to highlight these elements, while preserving the authenticity of a building marked by nearly eight centuries of religious and local history.

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