The former abbey church retains an imposing silhouette with
the powerful towers, which frame the three doorways and the
rose window of its gothic façade, and which, at 55 metres
dominate the landscape.
The interior of the building is very restrained and lacks great
passion. The great wall which encloses the nave tells of the
mutilation which it suffered at the beginning of the 19th century.
It was then 120 metres long.
The numerous and precious relics, which the abbey church
houses, illustrate the former power of the Corbie abbey. Of
the 113 reliquaries, existent at the time of the Revolution,
the relics of local Saints have been preserved, notably St
Firmin, St Adalhard, St Colette, the most precious being that
of St Pierre given to Adhalard by his cousin Charlemagne who
received it from Pope Leon III.
History of the monument
Corbie is above all known for having been the seat of the
powerful Benedictine abbey founded in 657 by Queen Bathilda.
The Abbots of Corbie played an eminent rôle in the
Carolingian period. Their jurisdiction extended to more than
200 parishes. The copyists workshops of the abbey were a major
cultural focus of the Christian West until the end of the
9th century.
Begun in 1502 by the 61st Count Abbot (Pierre d’Ostrel)
and finished about 1740, it was taken over by the nation after
the Revolution and was left abandoned.
In 1810 it was decided to reduce it by two-thirds. The total
length of the nave had been 120 metres, whereas today it is
only 36 metres.
Practical info
Opening times
Guided tours on
request at the Tourist Office:
- April 1 to September 30, Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30 am –
12 am and 2:30pm – 6 pm, (plus Mondays and Sundays in
July-August, 2:30pm - 6 pm).
– October 1 to March 31, Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am –
12 am and 2 pm – 5:30pm
Prices
Adults : 2.50 €
Corbie
Bocage Trois Vallées Tourist Office
30, place de la République - 80800 CORBIE
Tel : +33 (0)3 22 96 95 76
Fax : +33 (0)3 22 48 47 07
E-mail : officetourismecorbie.80@wanadoo.fr
Website : www.bocage3vallees.com
|
