Church of Saint-Vaast
Saint-Vaast Church is located in Landas, in the Hauts-de-France region. The first church, a Romanesque building from the tenth-eleventh century was associated with the cathedral of Tournai and the abbey of Flines. Rectangular in plan, the building includes three vessels of five bays. It is preceded by a brick belfry tower which houses the oldest bell in France (1285) still in operation. Inside you can admire an organ with 784 pipes dating from 1894.
About this building
Saint-Vaast Church is located in the town of Landas, in the region of Hauts de France. The original Romanesque church and the cemetery, built in tenth-eleventh centuries were associated with the cathedral of Tournai and the Abbey of Flines. The builidng was heavily damaged in the 17th century following the Thirty Years' War, and the bell tower and the choir were rebuilt in 1738 while the old nave, struck by lightning, was erected in a neo-Gothic style in 1775. The building was still the object of restoration work in the nineteenth century as well as the curial house and the presbytery. It was at this time also that the master glassmaker Félix Courmont d'Arras made the stained glass windows. The last restorations were completed in 1927 following the First World War.
Rectangular, the church, which opens onto a porch, includes three vessels of five bays. It is preceded by a brick belfry tower whose spire with rolled up drain and the roof with two sides are covered with slates. The tower houses two bells including the oldest bell in France (1285) still in operation. The main nave is extended by a choir of a bay with a semi-circular chevet. The interior exudes a great harmony thanks to the unity of barrel vaults separated by semicircular arches placed on blue stone columns of Tournai. Inside, you can admire a large Christ on the cross, baptismal fonts made of Tournai stone and an organ dating from 1894. The instrument, with 784 pipes, consists of 14 stops spread over 2 manuals and 1 pedalboard.
