Church of Saint Andrew of Fenain dans le Nord

Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-André de Fenain, located in the department of the North, is mentioned as early as 1243 in an archival document imposing an annual payment to the chaplain on 30 November, the day of Saint-André. This ancient bond with the patron saint of the fishermen remains mysterious, although a painting always adorns the choir. The building, whose belfry was in ruins since 1749, was enlarged in the 19th century to respond to the population growth caused by mining activity.

In 1791, the city council proposed to repair the tower and expand the church, a project approved in 1823 by the Northern Prefect, the Count of Murat. The first stone was laid in 1825, and the inauguration took place in 1828. The architect Jean-Étienne Voisin was inspired by the Sainte-Rictrude church in Marchiennes. The current building combines a triangular pediment tower, windows in the middle of the hanger, and a stroll behind the choir.

Among the remarkable elements, a stained glass window of the left side chapel, made by Latteux-Bazin, takes over La Descent de Croix de Rubens, exposed to the cathedral of Antwerp. This stained glass window, like the preserved tombstones, bears witness to the rich artistic and historical heritage of the church, linked to both the local faith and the industrial boom of Fenain.

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