Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The priory of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul d'Abbeville was founded in 1075 by Guy I of Ponthieu, and settled in Abbeville in 1100 thanks to a gift from King Philip I. Affiliated to the order of Cluny, it became an influential religious center, endowed with lands and dependent priories such as that of the Holy Spirit of Abbeville or Saint-Denis of Amiens. The monks exercised jurisdiction there until the 14th century, and the Romanesque church was replaced by a Gothic church.

In the Middle Ages, the priory experienced a gradual decline, from 40 monks at its peak to only 15 in 1460. Despite the Hundred Years' War, it maintained some prosperity until its total reconstruction in the 18th century. The architect Francis II Franque directed the works from 1774 to 1777, erecting a neo-classical church and convent buildings in brick and stone.

The priory was abolished in 1790 by the revolutionary decree prohibiting religious orders. In the 19th century, the Ursulines occupied until 1905, before he became a hospital during the First World War. Today, the remains of the 18th century house a high school and a library, while the church, closed to the public, retains elements protected from historical monuments.

Among the notable figures, Henri de Mesmes (1666–1721), Prior and Abbé, and Antoine-René de La Roche de Fontenille, Bishop of Meaux and Abbé, illustrate the ecclesiastical importance of the site. The engravings and archives, like those of the Siffait manuscripts, bear witness to its architectural and spiritual heritage.

External links