COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SAINT-VULFRAN
The Collégiale Saint-Vulfran, a superb example of the flamboyant Gothic style, is of great magnificence.
This is undoubtedly the town's most remarkable monument. Built and rebuilt several times since 1058 to house the relics of Saint Vulfran, this edifice is a superb example of the flamboyant Gothic style. The façade appears to be made of stone lace, with its two tall symmetrical towers, 55.80 m high, topped by watchtowers. The central portal, with its Renaissance casements, bears witness to the marvellous work of the Picardy "huchiers". A profound silence reigns, a purified form of magic, as if the collegiate church were sometimes afraid to display the outward signs of its magnificence. Ruskin wrote in Proeteria: "As a joyous and unmixed pleasure, to arrive at Abbeville on a fine summer afternoon to see Saint-Vulfran before the sun has left the towers, are things for which the past is to be cherished to the end." In 1853, Victor Hugo also visited this "old façade, gnawed by the wind and the moon, from which one leaves with a tear and enters with a smile". It was a dazzling sight for the Romantic author! William Einstein's modern stained-glass windows add a further touch of the sublime. One small regret, however, is that you can't really stand back and admire the facade, as traffic is always flowing along the foot of the building. In any case, the Collégiale Saint-Vulfran is an absolute must-see on any trip to Abbeville. Some even say it's enough to justify a visit to this not-so-famous town, where you'll find so many beautiful things!
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