Église abbatiale Notre-Dame d'Ourscamp

The Notre-Dame d'Ourscamp abbey church stands as a roofless Gothic structure with remaining stone walls reaching toward the sky in northern France.

Founded in 1129 by Saint Bernard at Bishop Simon de Vermandois's request, the abbey grew into one of northern France's main Cistercian monasteries.

The church represents Cistercian Gothic architecture, with its open-air choir section displaying medieval construction techniques and religious architectural principles.

The restoration project, started in 2022, includes waterproofing measures and structural reinforcements with an estimated completion time of four years.

The building's stones maintain perfect balance without roof support, demonstrating thirteenth-century engineering methods through exposed architectural elements.

Location: Chiry-Ourscamp

Part of: Ourscamp Abbey

GPS coordinates: 49.53488,2.97431

Latest update: March 3, 2025 09:11