Church of the Nativity of Our Lady

The church Notre-Dame d'Armancourt is a Catholic church located in Armancourt, in the department of Oise. It was built in several stages between the second quarter of the sixteenth century and the early seventeenth century, in the flamboyant Gothic style. Contrary to general practice, the nave was built before the choir, whose round-headed windows announce the Renaissance. The western portal is also in the Renaissance style, which suggests that it was added after the fact. This may also be the case for the vaults of the side aisle, where the date 1614 is engraved. The church is remarkable for its picturesque location, its relative homogeneity, its solid ashlar structure, and its asymmetrical plan. It has only one side aisle, to the south, but the transept overflows as much to the south as to the north, because its southern arm is all the deeper as the side aisle is wide. However, the church is of little architectural interest, and its only decorative elements are the portal, the networks of certain windows, and certain keystones. The absence of windows in the chevet of the crosses and in the first bay of the choir could be the result of economic constraints. Since the 19th century, the church has been in a poor state of repair. It was listed as a historical monument by decree of August 22, 1949, without benefiting from a medium-term restoration. The building was saved in extremis from collapse thanks to the donation of a patron, which finally allowed a complete restoration from 1980. Today, the church seduces by its perfect state of conservation and its interesting furniture. It includes in particular the baroque altarpiece of the abbey of Royallieu. Armancourt is affiliated with the parish of the Sixteen Blessed Carmelites of Compiègne.