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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Géry, located in Cambrai in the Northern Department, is a religious building built from 1648 to 1745. Originally Saint-Aubert Abbey, it is one of the oldest churches in the city, with archaeological traces dating back to the Gallo-Roman era. Its history is marked by successive architectural transformations, integrating Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and classical styles, as well as destructions linked to fires and wars. It was listed as a historic monument on November 26, 1919.

Once dedicated to Saint Peter in the fifth century, it became an abbey under Dagobert, then passed through the centuries as a place of contemplative life until the Revolution. After briefly serving as a cathedral, it took the name of Saint-Géry parish church in tribute to the founding bishop of the diocese of Cambrai. The building houses major works, such as a polychrome marble jube carved by Cambrésian Jaspar Marsy and a Rubens Tomb, commissioned in 1616 by the Metropolitan Chapter.

His treasures include the great organs built by Merklin in 1867, restored and rebuilt several times, notably in 1978 by René Godefroy to adopt a Nordic classical style. The church also preserves the former high altar of Vaucelles Abbey, partially destroyed during the Revolution. In 2010, the bell tower underwent major restoration due to structural weaknesses related to its urban environment and old underground.

The Placement at the tomb of Rubens, brought by the artist himself from Antwerp, represents a poignant scene with figures such as Saint Joseph of Arimatia and the Virgin, as well as Isabella Brant, the first wife of the painter, under the features of Madeleine. This painting, initially controversial for its representation of the naked Christ, was modified by an anonymous one, causing the anger of Rubens. The church also houses a painting by Charles Poerson, The Baptism of Christ, classified in 1993.

The jube, attributed to Gaspard Marsy (1624–1681), was moved under the organ buffet. This monument, owned by the commune, remains an exceptional testimony of Cambrai's artistic and religious evolution throughout the centuries, mixing architectural, pictorial and musical heritage.

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