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The abbey-church
 The
abbey-church of Saint-Riquier is one of the finest examples
of Flamboyant Gothic in the Somme.
The imposing size and the extraordinary ornamental wealth of
its façade captivate the visitor, who is not expecting
such grandeur in a small town like Saint-Riquier.
The abbey
A reminder of the former power of Saint-Riquier, the XVIIth
and XVIIIth century abbey now houses a museum of rural life.
General presentation
The abbey-church
The façade, which dates from the XVIth century, is
unusual in two respects: it is dominated by only one central
tower, which rises to a height of 50 metres; and it doesn't
have any windows, whose absence has been filled by an incredible
number of statues embedded in a dense network of arcatures
and lines that remind you of the Saint-Esprit chapel and the
Saint-Vulfran collegiate church. The central tympanum depicts
the Tree of Jesse. It is crowned by a statuary depicting the
Trinity, two abbots and the apostles. Higher up, you can see
the Crowning of the Virgin, St Michael, Adam, Eve, Moses and
Elijah. Including the two side portals, there are in total
around fifty full-size statues adorning the façade
and overlooking the square in an extraordinary relationship
of continuity with the visitor.
Compared to the façade, the interior of the building
might seem a little low-key. It surprises you with its imposing
dimensions, and the wealth of its decoration is soon apparent
once you have recovered from the shock of the façade.
About 96 metres long, the building is organised around a
wide nave with five bays in addition to those in the front
entrance, and a projecting transept (XIIIth – XVth century).
Beyond, in the area which was reserved for the monastic community,
stand two choir bays (XIIIth – XVth century) of unequal
width, ending in an apse, which is opened by five great arches
delimiting an equal number of radiating chapels.
The whole is bathed in a very beautiful light and richly
furnished and decorated. Note in particular the foliated cordon
which separates the two levels of the nave, the finely carved
galleries of the transept (XVIth century), and the wonderful
XVIIIth century organ case, below which is placed the music
festival stage. As you wander around, note the wealth of statues,
the Renaissance-style baptismal font, the XVIIth century stalls,
and paintings in the chapels by Coypel, Lépicié
and Hallé.
The so-called treasury room is decorated with XVIth century
murals and houses many pieces including a XIIth century Byzantine
Christ.
The abbey
A reminder of the former power of Saint-Riquier abbey, the
monastic buildings, which date from the XVIIth and XVIIIth
centuries embrace the abbey-church. All that really remains
of them is the façade, and they now house the Museum
of Rural Life in Picardy. Here you can see craftsmen's tools,
equipment and workshops. A deposit from the National Museum
of People's Arts and Traditions illustrates the importance
of wine and wine-growing in Picardy in former times. Two barns
have been reconstructed in the park, which comes alive at
the beginning of every July to the sounds of Jazz sur l’herbe
(Jazz on the grass)
History of the abbey and abbey-church
In the Carolingian period, Saint-Riquier was a very important
Benedictine seat of learning, whose influence extended over
the whole of Western Christendom, and which governed the west
of what is now the Somme département.
The abbey was ravaged by the Norman invasions in the IXth
century. It was an imposing building at the time, as shown
by the archaeological digs which have been ongoing for the
last 20 years.
Rebuilt in the XIth century, the abbey was set fire to in
1131 during the feudal wars.
The Hundred Years
War saw the town sacked in 1421 during the confrontations
between Burgundians and Armagnacs, then set fire to in 1475
by Louis XI in revenge for its support of the Burgundians.
With peace restored (1511 - 1536), an extensive rebuilding
programme was started by Eustache le Quieux, who gave the
abbey-church its present look, in particular its Flamboyant
Gothic façade.
The abbey then fell into decline, and would not have recovered
if Charles d’Aligre and the Maurist Reform had not restored
the buildings in the second half of the XVIIth century.
The abbey was sold in 1791 as national property, then bought
in 1822 by the Bishop of Amiens to house a secondary school.
It was used as a military hospital during the two world wars.
It was in 1971 that the Somme Departmental Council bought
the abbey, to house a museum and cultural centre.
The Somme Departmental Council is currently developing a
new cultural project for the abbey complex.
Practical info
• The Abbey-church
Opening
times
Guided tour of the Abbey-church and the Treasure Room from
01/04 to 31/10 at 10am, 11am, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm and 5pm, from
Tuesday to Saturday and on Sunday afternoons (except in July
during the music Festival and in case of religious ceremonies).
Prices :
Abbey-church :
Adults : 1.50 €
Children : 0.75 €
Treasure Room :
Adults : 1.50 €
Children : 0.75 €
• The Abbey Museum
Opening
times
From 18/03 to 30/04 and from 01/10 to 19/11, every
day 2pm-6pm (weekends and public
holidays from 10am to 12am and 2pm to 6pm).
From 01/05 to 30/09, every day from 10am to 12am and from
2pm to 6pm (in July and August: 10am to 6pm).
Prices : Entrance
free.
The Abbey-church and Abbey of
Saint-Riquier
Place de l'Eglise
BP 3 - 80135 SAINT-RIQUIER
Tel : +33 (0)3 22 28 20 20 Fax : +33 (0)3 22 28
90 18
E-mail : museestriquier@cg80.fr
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