St. Nicholas Church, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France

St. Nicholas Church is a large, cruciform town church set on Place Dalton at the heart of the lower town which clusters below the walls of the citadel. Due to the destruction of the French Revolution, WWI and WWII it is the most significant surviving medieval building in the town.

The church is first mentioned in 1208 as a foundation of the Abbey of Notre-Dame within the citadel, a relationship which existed into the 16th century. About this time, the silting up of one of the channels caused the centre of the town to move southwards, and St Nicholas took over from St Peter as the main town church.

The vaulted roofs in the nave and transepts were installed in the 17th century, but their weight caused the walls to crack, and as part of the rebuilding the nave was widened and lengthened, a response to the doubling in population of the lower town that century.

All the glass was destroyed during the liberation, and has so far been replaced in the lower stories with some splendid 1980s abstract designs.

References:

simonknott.co.uk

User Reviews

Daniel Lopez (2 years ago)
Nice church to see if you like visiting holy places

michelle laramicelle (2 years ago)
This church is the oldest in Boulogne sur mer. It is very beautiful both outside and inside. Small chapels are installed in the church and one can pray or gather there, notably Saint Rita Like all churches it has opening hours The main entrance has a large staircase but the church is accessible to people with reduced mobility via the entrance located on the side, Grand Rue

Yee Wang (4 years ago)
Boulogne-sur-Mer (French: Boulogne-sur-Mer) is a port city along the English Channel in the Calais Province, Upper France, with a population of 44,859 (1999). France’s largest fishing port has modern seaport facilities; it is also a car ferry port between France and Britain. Industries such as non-ferrous metallurgy, shipbuilding, machinery, textiles and canned fish are developed. Military fortress. There are many ancient buildings in the city, such as a castle built in the 13th century, a city hall in the 18th century, and a church in the 16th to 18th centuries. The bathing beach attracts many tourists. The first Global Esperanto Congress was held in Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1905.

Marva Samuels (5 years ago)
Very very lovely to see and the place was put of this world ... I loved it

Jack Ls (5 years ago)
Beautiful church on Dalton Square. Above the square you can admire the statue of Saint Nicolas. Bright interior. Beautiful nave. To see if you are passing.

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