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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The abbey of Saint-Martin d'Auchy, located in Aumale in Normandy, finds its origins at the end of the 10th century under the impulse of Count Guérinfroy, who founded a collegiate dedicated to Saint-Martin. Transformed into a priory, it was erected as an abbey in 1130 by Archbishop Hugues d'Amiens, at the request of Count Guillaume d'Aumale. Its history is marked by links with other religious institutions, such as the Abbey of Saint-Michel du Tréport in 1220, and its attachment to the Congregation of Saint-Maur in 1704, after centuries of vicissitude.

Over the centuries, the abbey underwent numerous architectural changes. Today, there remains a round 16th century brick tower, vestige of the abbey house, as well as an 18th century convent building, built by the Maurists. It houses spaces such as the guest room, the dining room, and the dormitory. The remains of the cloister, the abbey church, the terraces and a chapel dedicated to Sainte-Clotilde recall the past extent of the monastery.

The abbey, sold as a national property during the Revolution, was partially destroyed and fell into ruins before being bought in 2009 by Bernard Petit. Since 2010, its remains have been protected as historical monuments, with an extension of this protection in 2021. These measures include terraces, enclosure walls, and the Abbatial House Tower, thus preserving a major architectural and historical heritage of Normandy.

The list of abbots, which extends from the 12th to the 18th century, reflects the importance of the abbey in the region. Among them, figures such as Foulque, first abbot in 1130, or Claude de Lorraine, abbreviated as a merchant in the 16th century, illustrate the links between the monastery and the local elites. The abbey played a central role in the religious and social life of the region until its disappearance at the Revolution.

Historical sources, such as the ducal charters of 1096 or the work of the Maurist Benedictines in the 18th century, document its evolution. Recent excavations and protections provide a better understanding of its spatial organization, especially thanks to the remains of churches, cloisters and convent buildings still visible today.

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