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Origin and history

The convent of the Grey Sisters of Amiens came into being in 1486 when nuns of the Third Franciscan Order, founded by Elizabeth of Hungary, settled in the city after leaving their convent in Mainville in Artois. They were first established in the Hospital Saint-Nicolas-en-Coquerel, dedicated to the care of the sick, the help of the poor and the accommodation of travellers. This convent, whose church was rebuilt in the 16th century and the buildings at the beginning of the 18th century, became a central place of charity in Amiens.

At the French Revolution, the convent was declared national and sold in 1793. The Duthoit brothers made a drawing of it in 1834, bearing witness to its architecture before its partial destruction. During the German bombings of 19 May 1940, a large part of the buildings were destroyed, leaving only the walls of the cloister in elevation, forming a quadrilateral now integrated into the square of the cloister of the grey sisters.

The remaining remains, including the 18th century cloister and crypt, were protected as historical monuments by an order of 18 December 1940. These elements, owned by the municipality of Amiens, recall the religious and charitable history of the city, as well as the upheavals suffered during the Second World War. The site, located in the Saint-Germain district, offers a public space where one can still observe the traces of this heritage.

The convent is part of a Franciscan tradition of service to the poorest, typical of medieval and modern religious establishments. Its evolution, from a place of devotion to national good, then to a protected vestige, illustrates the political and social transformations of France, from the Ancien Régime to today. Historical sources, such as the work of Alberic of Calonne or Auguste January, document its role in Picardia.

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