Saint-Antoine Church

You’re now in front of the beautiful Saint-Antoine Church. Dating from around the same time as Saint-Jacques Church, its construction began in 1199 when it was decided that Compiègne needed parishes and could no longer rely solely on the Sainte-Corneille Abbey. The church was built in a stunning Gothic style in the 13th century and was heavily restored in the 16th century after suffering damage during the Hundred Years’ War. Life at the Saint-Antoine parish continued quietly until the Revolution. On February 17, 1791, two delegates from the town council attended mass and read the new instructions from the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, a revolutionary law restructuring the Church in France. The priest became increasingly detached from public life, and in 1792, the revolutionary authorities attempted to close the church, as the law stated that one church for 6,000 residents was enough. However, the town intervened, arguing that Compiègne had many more worshippers and that both churches must be preserved. But between 1793 and 1794, the dechristianisation movement swept through, aiming to erase all public traces of Christianity in France, especially Catholicism, the state religion of monarchic France. The most radical revolutionaries wanted to replace it with atheism, as they saw the clergy as too supportive of foreign monarchies that were concerned about the revolution’s spread and sought to restore absolute monarchy in France. Others believed this movement was dangerous, creating more enemies for revolutionary France. The movement was not uniform across the country, but in Compiègne, the ban on ringing church bells was declared on May 18, 1793, and the church was rented out to a fur merchant. This didn’t last long, and the church was eventually returned to worship. In the 18th century, the interior was radically altered. To brighten the space, nearly all artwork was removed, and the walls were coated in white lime, hiding the colourful medieval sculptures and painted details. Prosper Mérimée later criticised this, comparing it to vandalism. The building was listed as a historic monument in 1840 and was renovated using proper methods, removing as much of the lime coating as possible. Feel free to take a look inside to see the result!