ÉGLISE SAINT-NICOLAS

The church of Saint-Nicolas was built in the 13th century, when Thiebaut 1st of Bar decided to build a castle in Marville on the rocky spur overlooking the confluence of the Othain and the Crédon. Originally a hall church, rectangular in plan, without a transept, it continued to expand until the 16th century with the addition of six chapels. To the south, the double chapel of Day and Dawn, now the chapel of the Virgin, dates from 1472. The Holy Cross or Saint Joseph chapel, already in Renaissance style, dates from 1517. At the same time, to the north, the chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Pelletiers was built in 1479, the chapel of Sainte-Fine, a little later, the chapel of the Holy Sepulchre and finally the chapel of Saint-George or Saint-Antoine which dates from 1536. The main portal was rebuilt at the beginning of the 15th century and the rose window above it probably in the 19th century. In 1766, the two-sided bell tower was destroyed by lightning and replaced by the present baroque bell tower. Part of the north roof of the nave was also destroyed by fire and immediately rebuilt in one piece The church of Saint-Nicolas contains many treasures including, among others, a Virgin and Child dating from the 14th century, many elaborate keystones, a richly decorated organ loft from the Renaissance period and two stained glass windows by the Nancy artist Jacques Grüber At the beginning of the XXIst century, the church was in a state of disrepair as much for the building as for the roofing. Indeed, due to a lack of maintenance, numerous water ingresses on the roof damaged the framework over time. The stability of the building was damaged by the run-off of poorly drained rain and cracks appeared in the walls. Without a quick and efficient intervention, the church of Saint-Nicolas would not have survived this century! A major campaign of work conducted between 2014 and 2018 by the municipality with the support of the State, the Region Grand Est and the department of Meuse saved it and allowed it to regain its luster.