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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Bourbourg, located in the department of the North ( Hauts-de-France region), has its origins at the beginning of the 12th century, as evidenced by its foundations in bricks and limestone. Its foundation could be linked to that of the Abbey of the noble Benedictine Ladies in 1102 by Countess Clemence of Burgundy. The Gothic choir, added in the 13th century, contrasts with the initial Romanesque nave in the shape of a Latin cross. The building underwent major transformations in the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries, including the addition of lateral naves, the extension of the transept, and the construction of a brick bell tower.

In the 17th century, the church was partially destroyed by regional wars, requiring prolonged reconstruction, especially after the collapse of the bell tower in 1739 (15 years of work). Before the Revolution, its operation was based on donations (rents, lands, houses) and income related to religious ceremonies. During the French Revolution, his property was sold as national property, leaving him only 8 hectares of land in 1808. The accounts, unbalanced in the 18th century, regain a post-Revolution balance.

Modern conflicts deeply mark the building: damaged by bombings in 1918, it was restored and blessed in 1933 by Cardinal Achille Liénart. On May 25, 1940, a German shell pierced the tower, and a shot down aircraft burned the roof, destroying the bell tower and an 18th-century organ. In 1944, twelve ancient graves and tombstones were discovered. The reconstruction lasted until 1962 (reopened nave) and 2008 (restored gothic choir), after work initiated in 1995.

The choir, classified as a historical monument since 1920 (extended to the church as a whole in 2023), houses stained glass windows narrating local religious history, including the attack on the statue of Notre-Dame de Bourbourg in 1383. The latter, linked to a miracle during the bag of the city by Charles VI's troops, became an object of pilgrimage. A 15th century castle commemorates this event, while a public commission of 2000 ("The Choir of Light" by Anthony Caro) modernises the space with 15 sculptures inaugurated in 2008. The carillon, renovated, goes from 36 to 50 bells.

Architecturally, the church blends a central nave with Boulonnais stone columns, a Gothic choir with carved capitals, and a 13th century west arched portal, a rare example of Roman-Gothic transition. The side naves, added in the 16th century, transform the building into a hallekerke. The stained glass and tombstones (XVth - XVIth centuries) recall its central role in the community and religious life of Bourbourg, between worship, pilgrimages and historical memory.

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