Saint Vedast

Rue de Grosville, 62173 Rivière

About this building

In the heart of the village of Rivière, in the Crinchon Valley, the Church of Saint-Vaast is a remarkable example of 18th-century classical architecture.

Until then, the area had consisted of several hamlets, including Grosville, where the old 13th-century church and the seigneurial castle – rebuilt in the 18th century and still standing today – were situated. Between 1725 and 1750, under the authority of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Vaast in Arras, a new church was built in Rivière. The old church in Grosville was demolished and its stones reused in the construction of this new…

In the heart of the village of Rivière, in the Crinchon Valley, the Church of Saint-Vaast is a remarkable example of 18th-century classical architecture.

With its clean lines and monumental proportions, the church resembles a small abbey church, despite the village’s modest size at the time. Its chancel is adorned with wooden panelling carved with foliage motifs, characteristic of the 18th century. Most of its décor and furnishings date from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Largely spared by the French Revolution, the church lost its tower during the First World War. Listed as a Historic Monument on 7 June 1919, it now dominates the village, whose narrow streets still reveal its rich heritage (dovecotes and towers).

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Panelling in the chancel

The chancel is clad in panelling carved with foliage motifs in the classic late 18th-century…

The chancel is clad in panelling carved with foliage motifs in the classic late 18th-century style, alternating between wide and narrow panels. This panelling is punctuated by the altarpieces of the side altars and the high altar, thus lending the church a harmonious overall appearance.

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High Altar & Chancel Altarpiece (19th century)

This 19th-century painted wooden high altar features rich, multi-layered decoration. On the…

This 19th-century painted wooden high altar features rich, multi-layered decoration. On the antependium, Saint Vaast heals a blind man in the presence of Clovis and Clotilde. Higher up, Christ presides over the tabernacle, surrounded by the symbols of the Eucharist and the instruments of the Passion. The ensemble forms part of a carved altarpiece that extends into the choir panelling, where God in Glory and the painting of the Assumption dominate the composition.

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Side altars (19th century)

In the same style as the one in the chancel, these altarpieces complete the panelling that…

In the same style as the one in the chancel, these altarpieces complete the panelling that extends from the chancel. Carved with plant motifs and angels’ heads, the altar on the left is dedicated to the Virgin Mary (sancta Maria) and the one on the right to Saint Vaast (sanctus Vedastus), although it features a statue of Saint Joseph.

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