Saint-Germer-de-Fly Abbey is a former

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

located in the village of Saint-Germer-de-Fly, in

Picardy Picardy (; Picard language, Picard and , , ) is a historical and cultural territory and a former regions of France, administrative region located in northern France. The first mentions of this province date back to the Middle Ages: it gained it ...

in the

Oise Oise ( ; ; ) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,419 in 2019.< ...

département of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Only the late Romanesque-early Gothic church remains, now the village parish church. It is regarded as one of the earliest manifestations of the Gothic style in France. A Gothic chapel added in the mid-13th century is noted as a smaller-scale reinterpretation of the

Sainte-Chapelle The Sainte-Chapelle (; ) is a royal chapel in the Gothic style, within the medieval Palais de la Cité, the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine in Paris, France. Construction b ...

of Paris.

History

The abbey was originally built in the 7th century by Saint Germer, its founder and first abbot, as a Benedictine abbey. It was destroyed twice during the invasions of the Normans in the 9th and early 10th centuries, and re-founded as a

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

abbey in the 12th century by the

Bishop of Beauvais The Diocese of Beauvais, Noyon, and Senlis (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese encompasses the department of Oise in the region of Hauts-de-France. The diocese is a suffragan o ...

. The

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

of Saint Germer were moved from

Beauvais Cathedral Beauvais Cathedral otherwise the Cathedral of Saint Peter of Beauvais () is a Catholic church in the northern town of Beauvais, Oise, France. It is the seat of the Bishop of Beauvais, Noyon and Senlis. The cathedral is in the High Gothic style, ...

to the abbey in 1132. In the decade of 1130 the abbey built a basilica church in an advanced Romasque style that permitted an unusual amount of light into the interior of the church. The visual lightness of the construction at Saint-Germer-de-Fly was unprecedented and presaged the later Gothic style, with its emphasis on light and lightness. Towards the end of the eleventh century, the abbey would become the home of

Guibert of Nogent Guibert de Nogent ( 1055 – 1124) was a Benedictine historian, theologian, and author of autobiographical memoirs. Guibert was relatively unknown in his own time, going virtually unmentioned by his contemporaries. He has only recently caught the a ...

, who joined the monastic community there at about the age of twelve, and lived within its walls for thirty years before being elected as abbot of Nogent-sous-Coucy. Guibert's mother, a domineering woman, took up an ascetic life immediately outside the walls also, to remain closely involved in his life. About 1260, Pierre de Wessencourt, the 25th abbot, built the Marian Chapel at the

chevet In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. In Byzan ...

of the abbey church, which closely resembled the

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, built a few years earlier. It is connected to the main church by a narrow passage, and is composed of three vaults with stained glass window-walls. While less lofty than the Sainte-Chapelle, and without its original painted interior, the stonework is more decorated and detailed than the Sainte-Chapelle. It was used as a funerary chapel. The abbey suffered greatly during the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

, losing its western front and six vaults. In 1414 the troops of the

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy () was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by the Crown lands of France, French crown in 1477, and later by members of the House of Habsburg, including Holy Roman E ...

destroyed the towers and one bay of the nave. The present west front was rebuilt in the 16th century. In 1644 the abbey was transferred to the reformed Benedictine Congregation of St. Maur, who continued the rebuilding. Like all other monasteries of France, Saint-Germer-de-Fly was confiscated as State property during the French Revolution and the abbey buildings were destroyed. After the Revolution, the surviving church became the town's parish church. The northern transept, weakened by the removal of tributary structures, was rebuilt in 1808.

Description

The abbey forms a Latin cross, terminating at the head in a semicircle. The façade is quite plain, in contrast with the rest of the church. The ''Sainte-Chapelle'' is a delicate work of

Rayonnant Rayonnant was a very refined style of Gothic Architecture which appeared in France in the 13th century. It was the defining style of the High Gothic period, and is often described as the high point of French Gothic architecture."Encylclopaedia B ...

Gothic architecture. Image:Triforium.eglise.Saint.Germer.png, Triforium of Saint-Germer, drawn by Viollet-le-Duc Image:Transition entre styles.JPG, Transition between styles at the connection between the abbey church and the chapel Image:St Germer de Fly - north aisle looking west.jpg, North aisle looking west

Notes

References

Romanes.com: Photographs of Saint-Germer-de-Fly

Deed of 11 May 1248 of the ordinary of Beauvais regarding the sale of land to the abbey
(

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

text and translation into French) * Kimpel, Dieter, 1990: ''L'architecture gothique en France 1130-1270''. Paris: Flammarion.

External links

*
Photos of Sainte Chapelle en Saint-Germer-de-Fly
. {{Authority control Benedictine monasteries in France Cistercian monasteries in France Christian monasteries established in the 9th century Monasteries destroyed during the French Revolution Churches in Oise Chapels in France Gothic architecture in France