Foundation of the Abbey vers 1080 (≈ 1080)
Initiated by Saint Ide before 1108.
1108
Assignment to regular canons
Assignment to regular canons 1108 (≈ 1108)
Transfer of religious property.
XIIIe siècle
Partial reconstruction
Partial reconstruction XIIIe siècle (≈ 1350)
Transept south and chapel added.
1544
Choir bombardments
Choir bombardments 1544 (≈ 1544)
Major damage to the abbey.
1556
Roof replacement
Roof replacement 1556 (≈ 1556)
Lead replaced by slate.
1611
Fall of the arrow
Fall of the arrow 1611 (≈ 1611)
It's a detour from his arrow.
1629
Assignment to Oratorians
Assignment to Oratorians 1629 (≈ 1629)
New religious owners.
1707-1708
Destruction of the nave
Destruction of the nave 1707-1708 (≈ 1708)
Shooting by Oratorians.
1744 (fin XVIIIe siècle)
Reshaping the façade
Reshaping the façade 1744 (fin XVIIIe siècle) (≈ 1895)
Works by Giraud Sannier.
1944
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 1944 (≈ 1944)
Protection of remaining remains.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Buildings containing the remains of the abbey and church (Box 97 (2, rue de Lille) , 99 (12, place Godefroy-de-Bouillon) , 100 (10, place Godefroy-de-Bouillon) , 101 (8bis, place Godefroy-de-Bouillon) , 102 (8, place Godefroy-de-Bouillon) , 103 (1, rue d'Aumont) , 104 (3, rue d'Aumont) , 105 (6, rue Henry) , 106 (4, rue Henry) , 107 (3, rue Henry) , 108 to 111 (1, rue de l'Oratoire) , 112 (7, rue de l'Oratoire), 113 (9, 11 and 13, rue de l'Oratoire) ) : inscription by order of 11 January 1944
Key figures
Sainte Ide - Suspected Founder
Originally from the Abbey around 1080.
Giraud Sannier - Architecte Bolonnais
Redo the façade at the end of the 18th century.
Origin and history
The Saint Wilmer Abbey of Boulogne-sur-Mer was founded at the end of the 11th century, around 1080, at the initiative of Saint Ide, before being ceded to the regular canons in 1108. The abbey church, disused before the Revolution, was gradually transformed into houses, and its remains now remain within the buildings built on its site. The still visible parts include elements of the 13th century southern transept and traces of the facade remade at the end of the 18th century by architect Giraud Sannier.
In the 13th century, a chapel and the south transept were added or modified, while in the 16th century, the abbey suffered major damage: the choir was damaged by bombardments in 1544, and the lead roof was replaced by l'ardoise in 1556. The tower lost its arrow in 1611, and after the transfer to the Oratorians in 1629, they had the nave and tower cut down between 1707 and 1708. The remaining buildings, integrated into the urban fabric, were protected by a registration order in 1944.
Today, the remains of the abbey are distributed over several addresses in the city centre of Boulogne-sur-Mer, especially around the Oratory Street and the Place Godefroy-de-Bouillon. These buildings, incorporating medieval and modern architectural elements, testify to the urban and religious evolution of the city, although their exact location remains approximate. The abbey thus illustrates the successive transformations of a religious monument into an urban space, marked by destruction, reconstruction and reallocation.
