COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SAINT-VULFRAN
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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, it is a superb example of the flamboyant Gothic style. The façade is a lacework of stone, with two symmetrical 55.80 m high towers 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 refined 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 visited this "old facade, gnawed by the breeze 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 fresh, sublime touch. 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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