Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The collegiate Saint-Martin de Picquigny came into being in 1066, when Eustache de Picquigny, vidame of Amiens, founded with his brothers a chapter of eight secular canons and a dean. This church initially served as a castral chapel and necropolis for local lords. His history was marked by the arrival in 1206 of prestigious relics, including the Chief of Saint John the Baptist, brought back from Constantinople by the canon Wallon of Sarton. These relics, as well as those of Saint Firmin, made the college a place of pilgrimage and major devotion in Picardia.

In the 13th century, the nave and its collaterals were built in an incipient Gothic style, while the choir, transept and bell tower were largely redesigned in the 15th to 16th centuries, adopting flamboyant elements. The bell tower, raised at that time, was equipped with typical filling bays and a four-paned dardian roof. In 1689 the chapter had twelve canons, and in 1699 the Duke of Chevreuse strengthened the pillars supporting the bell tower, testifying to its architectural and symbolic importance.

The Revolution transformed the college into a parish church, but its history was marked by major destruction in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1906 and 1908, the bell tower and then the church were classified as Historic Monuments, but World War I (1940) severely damaged the bell tower, while a fire in 1950 destroyed the nave structure. Rebuilt in 1959, the college also benefited from a renovation of its roof in 2008. Its furniture, including 15th to 19th century statues and a 17th century retable, reflects its rich liturgical and artistic past.

The building houses remarkable elements such as a funerary crypt accessible from the southern crusillon, medieval tombstones (XIII century), and a silver reliquary hunt dedicated to Saint Gaudence. The western façade, redesigned with a Greek-style porch and a blind rosette, as well as the 17th century southern gate, illustrate the stylistic evolutions of the monument. Close to the medieval castle of Picquigny, the college remains a major witness to the religious and seigneurial history of the region.

The relics of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Firmin, preserved in the college, always attract attention, just like the 16th century stalls decorated with sculptures (an old bearded and a horny devil). The high altar in red marble (18th century) pays tribute to Charles d'Ailly, Duke of Chaulnes, and to his wife, emphasizing the link between the monument and the Picardy aristocracy. Despite the vicissitudes of history, the Collège Saint-Martin remains a jewel of the Gothic heritage of the Hauts-de-France.

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