Saint-Étienne Church (Beauvais)

It was founded in the late 3rd century by Firmin of Amiens and – though its original dedicatee is unknown – it was long dedicated to Saint Vaast d'Arras, with a chapter existing under this title from 1072 to 1742.

Well understood from 1950s excavations, the Romanesque choir was demolished sometime between 1500 and 1525 to make room for a new one in Flamboyant Gothic, rapidly given stained glass windows which survived the French Revolution and are the most notable feature of the church.

In that case, Firmin himself was not involved in construction, because excavations conducted at the beginning of the 19th century demonstrate that much of the site was occupied by Roman baths.

The popular and revolutionary society then set about a violent program of dechristianization, and on 2 October ordered the destruction of all external signs of religion.

In response, numerous sans-culottes gathered one autumn day (3 October, or 16 or 24 November) armed with hammers and pickaxes, and went from one church to another vandalizing the sculpted doorways and furniture.

At the end of the year, the church was transformed into a storehouse for oats and fodder, and a doorway for wagons was opened under the stained glass window representing the lineage of Jesse, destroying the lower register.

On 8 December the parishioners at last regained the church, as well as responsibility for its upkeep and restoration, the authorities having winked their eyes at the extensive and gratuitous vandalism.

The pipe organ had been stolen, a gaping hole opened where there had been a rose window, the pinnacles of the lady chapel had collapsed, and most of the furniture was broken, but religious services were held again on 1 January 1796.

A small group of parishioners dedicated themselves to fully restoring the church to its condition prior to the Revolution, and succeeded in reassembling much of the scattered furniture.