Saint-Riquier (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ ʁikje]; Picard: Saint-Ritchier) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.

Saint-Riquier
Hôtel-Dieu
Hôtel-Dieu
Coat of arms of Saint-Riquier
Location of Saint-Riquier
Map
Saint-Riquier is located in France
Saint-Riquier
Saint-Riquier
Saint-Riquier is located in Hauts-de-France
Saint-Riquier
Saint-Riquier
Coordinates: 50°08′01″N 1°56′53″E / 50.1336°N 1.9481°E / 50.1336; 1.9481
CountryFrance
RegionHauts-de-France
DepartmentSomme
ArrondissementAbbeville
CantonRue
IntercommunalityCC Ponthieu-Marquenterre
Government
 • Mayor (2021–2026) Yves Monin[1]
Area
1
14.48 km2 (5.59 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
1,257
 • Density87/km2 (220/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
80716 /80135
Elevation19–97 m (62–318 ft)
(avg. 22 m or 72 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

edit

The commune is situated 6 kilometres (4 mi) northeast of Abbeville, on the D925 and D32 crossroads.

Abbey

edit

Saint-Riquier (originally Centula or Centulum) gained fame for its abbey, founded about 625 by Riquier (Richarius), son of the governor of the town, when the town was within Austrasia in the Merovingian Kingdom. It was enriched by King Dagobert I and prospered in the early 9th century Carolingian Empire under the abbacy of Angilbert, son-in-law of Charlemagne. In the year 881 Northmen burned the abbey and destroyed much of what was Centula.

The monastery was rebuilt in the Middle Ages on a smaller scale. The abbey was part of the diocese of Amiens in Ponthieu. The early counts of Ponthieu originally were styled advocatus of the abbey of Saint Riquier and "castellan" of Abbeville. The counts of Ponthieu enrolled their younger sons who were going into religious vocations at the abbey. Count Enguerrand I placed his sons, Fulk, later abbot of Forest-l'Abbaye, and Guy, later the bishop of Amiens, in Saint Riquier for their education. Their teacher was abbot Enguerrand "the Wise" (d. 9 December 1045), under whose rule Saint Riquier enjoyed its "golden age." The abbey held estates in Norfolk, England.

Today's 18th century buildings are occupied by an ecclesiastical seminary. The present church, built in the 13th and 14th centuries, is a magnificent example of Flamboyant Gothic architecture, and has a richly sculptured front on the west, surmounted by a square tower. In the interior the fine vaulting, the Renaissance font and carved stalls, and the frescoes in the treasury are especially noteworthy. Among other valuable relics, the treasury possesses a copper cross said to be the work of Saint Eloi (Eligius).

In 1536 Saint-Riquier repulsed an attack by the Germans, during its defense the women especially distinguishing themselves. In 1544 it was burned by the English, an event that marks the beginning of its decline.

 
Abbey church, Saint-Riquier

Other sites

edit

The bell-tower of Saint-Riquier was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005 because of its architecture and testimony to the rise of municipal power in the area during the late Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.[3]

Population

edit
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 1,176—    
1975 1,205+0.35%
1982 1,165−0.48%
1990 1,166+0.01%
1999 1,186+0.19%
2007 1,254+0.70%
2012 1,252−0.03%
2017 1,258+0.10%
Source: INSEE[4]

Twin towns

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 4 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Belfries of Belgium and France". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  4. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
edit