Basse Oeuvre, Carolingian church in Beauvais, France
Basse Oeuvre is a church building from the Carolingian period in Beauvais with three naves and six bays supported by square pillars on the north side and octagonal pillars on the south. The interior height reaches about 17 meters and the walls are constructed from small regular stones with reused Roman-era bricks incorporated throughout.
The building was founded in 901 and represents one of the oldest surviving structures of early medieval architecture. The use of small regular stones and recycled Roman material shows how early builders drew on resources from older structures to construct their churches.
The church continues to function as a place of worship and shows how early medieval buildings have served communities over centuries. Walking through it, you notice how the structure fits into the religious life of the city and what role it still plays today.
The church stands directly next to Beauvais' Gothic cathedral, making it easy to visit both buildings and compare their architectural styles. The proximity allows you to see the contrast between early medieval and later Gothic construction methods and design choices.
Archaeological excavations between 1965 and 1985 uncovered the remains of pre-Romanesque auxiliary buildings buried beneath the church foundations. These discoveries reveal that successive structures occupied this site over a long period of time.
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