St. Denis Church

The Saint-Denis church is a Catholic parish church located in Serans, France. Almost nothing is known about its history. The oldest part is the bell tower, which is in Romanesque style, and dates from the first half of the 12th century. The choir of this period was replaced a few years later by a rib-vaulted bay. The church of Saint-Denis is thus one of the forty churches in the Oise region that have Romanesque rib vaults. But this is all that remains from that period: the second bay of the choir, which ends in a flat chevet, was added at the beginning of the 13th century, and the south cross and the south side chapel were built, or rebuilt, during the same campaign. Most of the capitals are unfortunately damaged, or were resculpted in the 19th century, and the second bay of the choir lost all its authenticity during a radical restoration at that time. Better preserved are the crossing and the north side chapel, which were rebuilt after the Hundred Years' War in the early 16th century. The present nave and aisles were built a few years later. Narrow and high, lit by high windows, the nave displays the flamboyant gothic style at its peak. The stylistic purity of the flamboyant elements is surprising in this second quarter of the 16th century, all the more so as the Renaissance is already well present with the canopies of the niches with statues above the pillars, and the keystones of the side aisles. The nave of Serans is certainly the most impressive realization among the flamboyant naves in rural areas in the Vexin. This is also true for its façade, which is distinguished by its arrangement on three levels separated by balustrades, and its exuberant decoration, even if it is not free of small clumsinesses. The church was classified as a historical monument by decree of March 7, 1908. It is now affiliated with the Vexin-Ouest community of the parish of Saint-François du Vexin, which suspended the celebration of Sunday masses in 2018.