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Origin and history

Saint-Géry Church, located in Valenciennes in the Northern Department, is a Catholic church dedicated to Saint Gerry. It was built in the first half of the 13th century, making it today the oldest church in the city. Built at the request of the Franciscans, it becomes the place of burial of the elder branch of the Counts of Hainaut, while the younger branch is buried in the Dominican church. Its original architecture, marked by 12 pillars of blue stone symbolizing the 12 apostles, is partially preserved, especially in the nave and choir.

In 1851, a belfry was added to the building. The church suffered heavy damage during the 1944 bombings during World War II, before being rebuilt and restored to worship in 1965. It was classified as historical monuments in 1946, especially for its columns and capitals of the nave. In 1703, the Valencian sculptor Antoine Joseph Pater intervened to repair the main altar, testifying to maintenance work over the centuries.

The church is also marked by recent events, such as vandalism in 2010, where two statues are damaged. In 2021, it welcomed the reliquary of the martyr Ursulines of Valenciennes, transferred from Saint-Saulve. A chapel is then dedicated to these blessed ones, in the presence of the Archbishop of Cambrai Vincent Dollmann and the parish priest-dean Jean-Marie Launay. This reliquary commemorates the martyrdom of the Ursulines in 1794, on the nearby Place d'Armes.

Open daily, the Saint-Géry Church remains an active place of worship and a testimony to the religious and architectural history of Valenciennes, mixing medieval heritage, reconstructions and local memory.

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