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Key figures

Origin and history

Saint-Antoine des Hauts-Buttés Church is one of the three churches of Monthermé, located in the hamlet of Hauts-Buttés, 500 m above sea level in the middle of the forest. Built in the 19th century in a neo-Gothic style, it is 21 meters long and 18.5 meters long for the transept. Dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, it preserves a relic of the saint as well as a shawl of Saint Florent, martyr, and a bell dating from 1487, native to the chapel of the Old Moulins. Over 2300 ex-votos, mostly thanks for graces obtained, adorn its walls, reflecting popular devotion.

The history of the church dates back to 1706, when King Philip V of Spain authorized the construction of a chapel at the Old Mills of Hargnies. In 1778, under Louis XVI, the inhabitants of the Hauts-Buttés obtained permission to build a chapel closer to their hamlet. In 1822, the chapel was restored and enlarged, and in 1852, the parish of Hauts-Buttés was officially established. Father Justin Joseph Wimet, pastor from 1868, launched in 1874 the reconstruction of the church, financed by donations, the commune and the state. The present building, designed by architect Jean-Baptiste Couty, was consecrated in 1877.

Father Wimet re-launched the pilgrimage to Saint Anthony of Padua, setting the main date for June 13, the day of his feast. In 1883 he established a novena and a brotherhood, and in 1885 Pope Leo XIII granted full indulgence to pilgrims. In 1894, a relic of Saint Anthony (a coast) was offered by Cardinal Pius, Bishop of Poitiers, strengthening the attraction of the sanctuary. The pilgrimage attracts about 6,000 faithful a year, and Abbé Wimet creates an establishment combining hotels for pilgrims and hospice for the elderly.

The ex-votos, dated for 367 of them, reveal peaks of devotion between 1890 and 1910, a period marked by tensions between the Church and national secular politics. The inscriptions refer to healings, exam successes, family protections or conflict resolution, illustrating faith mixed with daily concerns. The church remains a testimony of popular piety and religious history of the Ardennes.

Today, the church retains its role as a place of worship and pilgrimage, while the old hotel-hospice has evolved into a nearby retirement home. The sanctuary, with its relics and thousands of ex-votos, continues to attract visitors, perpetuating a centuries-old tradition.

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