Église Saint-Rieul, Orry-la-Ville

Notre-Dame d'Orry-la-Ville is a Catholic parish church located in Orry-la-Ville, France. There is no record that Orry-la-Ville had a church in the same location before the construction of the current church, which stylistic analysis allows to place between 1160 and 1170 approximately. Before that, there was already a chapel dedicated to Saint Rieul, near the cemetery, as well as the parish church of the village of Géni, the historical nucleus of the present commune, which became depopulated during the first half of the 13th century. The suppression of its parish by joining that of Orry-la-Ville in 1246 led at the same time to the birth of that of La Chapelle-en-Serval, a former dependency of Orry. - The sculpture and the modenature of the choir of the church of Notre-Dame show an influence by the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Senlis, which allows a connection to the gothic architecture, while the exterior of the hemicycle apse is still under the influence of the romanesque architecture. The nave was built after the choir, and was initially unvaulted and without aisles. The south aisle was added in the early 16th century at the latest. The nave was later vaulted in the Flamboyant Gothic style, and the Chapel of the Virgin, in the same style, was added to the north of the last bay of the nave and the first bay of the choir. The bell tower dates only from the beginning of the 13th century. As a whole, the church of Notre-Dame is a modest building with a sober, even poor appearance, the sculpted elements being limited to the western portal and the interior of the choir. In its simplicity, the choir nevertheless shows a quality architecture of the early Gothic period. The church was registered as a historical monument by decree of May 21, 1970, and then restored. It is now part of the parish of the Holy Spirit of Serval, and still hosts a weekly Sunday mass, which takes place alternately on Saturday evening or Sunday.