Fenioux - Notre-Dame de l’Assomption

Fenioux, a small village with a population of less than 200, has this wonderful parish church "Notre-Dame de l’Assomption". Once the church was dedicated to "Saint-Savinien" and "Saint Pierre". It was built in the 12th century, about the same time, when Aulnay (27kms northeast) was under construction.

The church was erected over a Carolingian oratory from the 9th century, of which some parts were integrated into the new building - and so still exist around the choir. The large, western facade, with its five archivolts is breathtaking. Though vandalized during the Wars of Religion and the French Revolution, when many sculptures here lost their heads, this is still extraordenary.

There are five semicircular archivolts. The second archivolt has the virtues defeating the vices. On the right a vice is trampled down by a (headless) virtue and killed by a spear, that lancinates his head. The obvious defencelessness of the nude, dying person adds a flavour of excessive violence to the scene. The large angel on the left archivolt comments this by swinging a censer.