Saint-Léger Church

Saint-Léger Church is a Catholic parish church located in Éméville, in the Oise department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It is one of the smallest churches in the department. Built under a single campaign at the end of the 13th century, it provides one of the rare examples of a church of this period in the Valois, and illustrates the adaptation of the radiant Gothic style then in force to the economy of means of a small rural parish. The stylistic compromises are numerous, and only the capitals of the choir indicate the actual construction period, while the round-headed windows suggest a date from an earlier century. The church is nevertheless carefully built in ashlar, and has a powerful bell tower influenced by the Champagne Gothic school, which has no equal in the area. Inside, the remains of the architectural polychromy are noteworthy, especially in the chapel that forms the base of the bell tower. There was once a second, slightly different chapel, which paralleled it to the south. The church of Saint-Léger was classified as a historical monument by order of April 6, 1937. Due to war damage, the only aisle, north of the nave, is still condemned. Éméville is now affiliated with the parish of Saint-Sébastien de Crépy-en-Valois, and Sunday masses are celebrated in the church of Saint-Léger every two months or so, at 11:00 am.