Attractions and Places To See around Wavrans-Sur-L'Aa - Top 20

Name is St. Bertinus

The brick façade with layers of white natural stone is five stories high and decorated with sculptures. The layout of the ambulatory and the window design refer to the Gothic style. The church was designed by Du Blocq, a Jesuit from Mons, and completed in 1629. It is notable for its high interior, the volutes on either side of the nave, and the narrow square towers on either side of the choir, a Tournai tradition. The chapel is home to the Centre d'Interprétation de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine (CIAP) du Pays d'Art et d'Histoire de Saint-Omer

The town hall was built between 1834 and 1841 with materials from the church of the Abbaye de Saint-Bertin. At the heart of the building is an Italian-style theatre. The Hôtel de Bailliage is a former royal court that was outside the power of the aldermen. It is an elegant Louis XIV building, decorated with pilasters, Doric capitals, ironwork and floral garlands. Four statues on the balustrade symbolise the cardinal virtues.

The Ruines de l’Abbaye Saint-Bertin are the remains of a Benedictine monastery in Saint-Omer, France. The monastery was founded in the 7th century by the Bishop of Thérouanne under the name Abbaye de Sithiu. The ruins of this monastery are located in Saint-Omer, Rue des Ruines Saint-Bertin. They were classified as a historical monument in 1840. The buildings are now in ruins, but are open to the public. The abbey was originally dedicated to Saint Peter and later to Saint Bertin. It was one of the three most powerful abbeys in the north of the kingdom. The monastery was surrounded by a wall and bordered the rivers Aa and Haute-Meldick. It consisted of three parts: the regular places, the peripheral districts and the outbuildings. The abbey church was located at the heart of the monastery and all the buildings were organized around it. The monastery also had a cloister, refectory, parlour, celler, chauffoir and kitchens. The ruins of the abbey offer a fascinating insight into the medieval history of France and are a popular tourist attraction.

This cathedral, the former "Cloître Notre-Dame" of the canons, is the most beautiful religious building in the region. The shape and dimensions are impressive. The choir dates from 1200, the transept from the 13th century, the nave from the 14th-15th century. The 50 m high facade tower is decorated with vertical blind arches and crowned with watchtowers (15th century). On the middle buttress of the southern portal there is a statue of the Virgin Mary (14th century), and on the tympanum a Last Judgement with very few chosen ones. In the corner next to the choir there is an octagonal Romanesque tower.

You will see the tomb of St. Audomarus and the mausoleum of Eustache de Croy, chapter provost in Saint-Omer and bishop of Arras, a moving work by Jacques Dubroeucq (16th century). He shows the deceased kneeling, in bishop's robes, but also lying down and naked, as in classical antiquity. Note the 15th-century tombstones with inscriptions and the Descent from the Cross by Rubens (first bay of the right aisle). The tombs are 15th century, the alabaster statues 16th and 17th centuries. Other eye-catchers are the Madonna with cat (right aisle), the statue (13th century) of Notre-Dame des Miracles that attracts pilgrims every September, a Nativity of Christ from the 13th century and the tomb (8th century) of St. Erkembode, abbot of Saint-Bertin - here they leave shoes of children who have difficulty learning to walk. Above the astronomical clock (1558) a jaquemart tolls the hours (transept left). Above it is a rose window in flamboyant style. The statue group Grand Dieu de Thérouanne (13th century) stood 20 m above the portal of the cathedral of Thérouanne, which was destroyed by Charles V. The figures seem distorted, but the artist foreshortened them so that they had the correct perspective from below (transept left).

The town hall was built between 1834 and 1841 using materials from the church of the Abbaye de Saint-Bertin. At the heart of the building is an Italian-style theatre. The Hôtel de Bailliage is a former royal court that was outside the power of the aldermen. It is an elegant Louis XIV building, decorated with pilasters, Doric capitals, ironwork and floral garlands. Four statues on the balustrade symbolise the cardinal virtues.

The sundial at St. Omer Cathedral is an impressive astronomical instrument that tells the time based on the position of the sun. It is one of the largest sundials in France and is located on the south wall of the cathedral. The sundial is made of stone and has a diameter of about 3.5 meters. It was built in 1561 and is still in good condition. The design of the sundial is very detailed and includes several circles and lines that indicate the time at different times of the year. It is a beautiful example of the astronomical knowledge of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.