The Ruins of Saint-Bertin Abbey

In the year 640, a chapel was built in the upper part of the town of St. Omer, only to be later moved to the lower part. Upon his arrival, Bertin deemed the oratory too small and had a monastery built; the final structure was constructed between 1326 and 1520.
From then on, the monastery hosted a large number of illustrious figures; for example, in 1395, Charles VI stayed there for a few days, followed by other visitors such as Charles V and Louis XIV. Toward the end of the 18th century, the monks were expelled from the abbey; the buildings, sold to private individuals, were soon abandoned.

In 1830, the monastery was demolished; only the tower remained. During World War II, a shell struck the left buttress, causing its collapse. As a result, the tower collapsed, and all that remained of the abbey were ruins.

This building, a fine example of Gothic architecture, was one of the few monuments of such scale to be constructed at the time. Its dimensions are colossal: total length is 120 m; width including the transept is 45 m; the tower is 58 m high; the nave is 23 m wide; and the height under the vault is 28 m.

Opposite the abbey, which was designated a historic monument in 1840, stands a statue of Abbot Suger, originally from the gardens of Versailles and installed in the second half of the 19th century, which highlights the ruins of the monastery.