Saint-Fursy Church of Gueschart dans la Somme

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Origin and history

The Saint-Fursy de Gueschart Church, located in the Somme department north of Abbeville, is a Gothic-style building built on a traditional basilical plan. His choir, higher than the nave and transept, is vaulted with warheads, while a bell tower surmounted by an arrow in slate extends the building to the west. The white stone used for its construction is characteristic of the religious monuments of the region.

The church houses a 14th century shawl dedicated to Saint Fursy, partially restored in the 16th century. This reliquary in repulsed silver and gold, in the form of a house mounted on four lying lions, contains the relics of the saint visible through three glass openings. Ranked a historic monument in 1897, the shawl is now preserved in the treasure of Notre-Dame d'Amiens Cathedral, illustrating the heritage importance of the building.

Several protected liturgical objects are associated with the church, including wooden or stone statues dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Among them, a sculpted group representing Saint Fursy and his oxen (18th century) and a terracotta statue of the saint (18th century) highlight the local worship dedicated to this character. A historic marriage was also said to have been celebrated in 1586, uniting the Prince of Epinoy with the daughter of the seigneur of Gueschart, an event that marked the Picard nobility of the time.

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