St. Denis Church, Belle Eglise

The church of Saint-Denis is a Catholic parish church located in Bornel, in the department of Oise, France. Its foundation dates back to the Merovingian period, and its name was probably given to it by the abbey of Saint-Denis, which is the lord of the village. The collator of the parish is nevertheless the priory of Sainte-Madeleine de Bornel, which depends on the abbey of Vézelay. The oldest part of the present church is the rear part of the choir, which is Romanesque and dates from the late 1140's. The hemicycle plan of the south side chapel can be reduced to a potential Romanesque apsidal chapel. During the last quarter of the twelfth century, a Gothic collateral was added to the north of the choir. The large arcades of the unvaulted nave were built at the very beginning of the 13th century. During the Hundred Years' War, the church apparently underwent significant destruction, as it was largely rebuilt at the end of the 15th century in a rather rustic flamboyant style. Finally, the piers of the bell tower were rebuilt in the 17th or 18th century, and the south side was reworked. In this way, the eastern parts of the building are very heterogeneous, and four periods are present. Only one vault is Romanesque; the seven others are flamboyant. The church of Saint-Denis was registered as a historical monument by decree of March 18, 1927. It was completely restored at the end of the 20th century and is now in excellent condition. Bornel is now affiliated with the parish of Saint-Louis-en-Thelle with headquarters in Chambly, and the church of Saint-Denis hosts Sunday masses at 6:00 pm.