Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Gilles d'Abbeville, an emblematic building of the city, was mentioned in 1205, but its reconstruction in flamboyant Gothic style began in 1414. Between 1485 and 1528, she was enlarged to adopt her current basilical plan, with nave, transept and polygonal choir. Its bell tower, added in 1720, initially housed ten bells, while its asymmetrical facade stowed a portal dedicated to Saint Gilles, patron saint of the church.

In 1729, two pillars collapsed, leading to the fall of a vault, then in 1765, lightning damaged the bell tower and broke the clock. During the Revolution, the church was converted into a forage store, before being restored in 1874 in a neo-Gothic style. An organ is then installed on a stand at the entrance to the nave.

The Second World War marked a tragic turning point: the bombings of 20 May 1940 destroyed much of the building. After the war, the interior was rebuilt in a contemporary style (concrete pillars, wooden vaults), mixing ancient elements like a 16th century Christ and modern creations (glass windows, statues). Ranked a historical monument in 1926, the church also honours the memory of Pierre Carpentier, a resistant priest deported and executed in 1943.

The bell tower, once a sound symbol of the city, lost its bells in 1940, while the current organ, built by Beuchet-Debierre, perpetuates the musical tradition. Father Jean-François-Martial Dergny (1809–180), vicar scholar and painter, illustrates the cultural role of the church in the 19th century. The organists Jacques Noblet (1712–125) and Charles Héluin (from 1725) also marked his musical history.

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