Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Michel du Wast, located in Le Wast (Pas-de-Calais), is a former priory founded by Saint Ide, widow of Count Eustache II de Boulogne and mother of Godefroy de Bouillon. After the death of her husband, Ide sold his property to restore or establish three religious establishments between 1084 and 1099, including this priory. It was placed under the authority of Cluny Abbey in 1110. Ide was buried in the crypt according to his will, and the priory prospered until the 14th century, before declining because of the wars (English destructions in 1346 and 1390).

The priory, led by priors such as Haunon (1119) or Simon (1197), became a merchant in the 16th century. In 1721 the bishop of Boulogne turned the church into a parish. Sold as national property in 1792, it was returned to the commune after the concordat of 1801. The present building, partially rebuilt in the 17th–15th centuries, preserves Romanesque elements (columns, arcades) rediscovered during restorations in 1910. The portal was classified in 1910, the entire church in 1913.

The archives mention influential priors, such as Jean de Nutry (1376), Baudouin du Wast (15th century), or François de La Rochequibal (1665–93). The priory owned property in England and generated £2,000 in income in 1789. The crypt, where Ide lay, existed in 1669 before the transfer of his relics to Paris. Partial destructions (XVI century, Hundred Years' War) and reconstructions shaped its present appearance, mixing Romanesque and classical styles.

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