Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre de Nielles-lès-Ardres was built around 1160 by Jacques de Guînes, replacing an old place of worship called Vainquerque, located more in the centre of the village. She adopts a novel plan, with a central nave, two collaterals and a flat-side choir, although the transept has now disappeared. Oriented northeast due to an error related to the date of its construction (near the equinox), it is built of white stone extracted from the local quarries of Mount Guémy. Its original soil, composed of red slabs, was rediscovered during modern works.

Over the centuries, the church has undergone several changes: its Romanesque vault in starred blue wood was masked in the 19th century by a neo-Gothic plaster vault, and its stone bell tower, considered too heavy, was replaced by a wooden structure in the 17th century. It contains remarkable heritage elements, such as 12th century baptismal fonts in Tournai blue stone (classified in 1911), murals of the choir depicting the life of Saint Peter (hidden by the neo-Gothic vault), and a Christ with the Romanesque tomb discovered in 1956. The organ, built in 1686 by Guillaume Van Belle for a church in Saint-Omer, was transferred to Nielles-lès-Ardres in 1795 and restored in the 21st century.

Classified as historical monuments since 1929 for its building and 1911/1995 for its movable objects (orgue, fonts baptamaux, bell " Jacqueline" of 1494), the church was restored in 1956 and recently in 2019, with the repair of its structure and the restoration of the walled vault of the forerunner. It remains an active place of worship, attached to the parish of Notre-Dame in Ardrésis, and bears witness to medieval religious architecture and its evolution throughout the eras.

The cemetery surrounding the church preserves historical traces, such as a waiting vault and the location of an old "lord gate", linked to an underground probably leading to the fortress of the Montoire. The stained glass windows, the Gothic foothills of the choir and the 20 listed heritage elements (including six classified) underline its cultural importance. The organ, with its sculpted Flemish buffet and mesotonic temperament, is a rare gem, just like the bell " Jacqueline", spared by the Revolution.

The church's history also reflects the local religious organization: integrated into the dean of Calaisis, it is part of a network of nine parishes under the authority of the Diocese of Arras. The departmental archives of Pas-de-Calais retain documents on its restoration, in particular that of the organ in 2005. Today, St Peter's church combines medieval heritage, modern transformations and active parish life, embodying nearly nine centuries of local history.

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