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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Folquin in Esquelbecq, located in Place Alphonse Bergerot, is a religious building whose origins date back to the 10th and 16th centuries. It has been a historic monument since 20 July 1945, reflecting its architectural and cultural importance. His history is marked by tragic events, such as the fire of April 11, 1976, which occurred on a Palm Sunday, which destroyed part of his liturgical furniture. Despite this, carbonized fragments and statues were saved and are still exposed in the building.

The church is dedicated to Saint Folquin de Thérouanne, whose relics it preserved. Among them, a stole used until 1793 to bless women in childbirth was lost during the Revolution. In 1618, bones of the saint were taken from Saint-Omer by Philippe Levasseur de Guernonval, Baron of Esquelbecq, to enrich the church rebuilt after the iconoclastic lootings. These relics, hidden during the Revolution by the parish priest Antoine Devulder, mysteriously disappeared in 2013. The building also houses tombstones dated 1522 and a bell tower of 23 bells.

The church's heritage includes black marble baptismal fonts, inscribed in the Departmental Inventory of Antiquities. After the 1976 fire, the church was rebuilt in 1978, preserving its central role in the religious and cultural life of Esquelbecq. Its architecture and history reflect the religious and political upheavals of the region, from the wars of Religion to the French Revolution.

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