commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
A village situated some 10 miles (16 km) southeast of
Montreuil-sur-Mer
Montreuil (; also nl, Monsterole), also known as Montreuil-sur-Mer (; pcd, Montreu-su-Mér or , literally ''Montreuil on Sea''), is a sub-prefecture in the Pas-de-Calais department, northern France. It is located on the Canche river, not far fr ...
on the D137 road.
Population
Places of interest
* Church of St. Martin, dating from the sixteenth century.
* The abbey of St. Martin.
In 1130, monks of the
Premonstratensian Order
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...
chose a site on the plateau between the rivers
Canche
The river Canche (; nl, Kwinte) is one of the rivers that flow from the plateau of southern Boulonnais and Picardy, into the English Channel, of which the Somme is the largest example. It is long. The basin of the Canche extends to and lies i ...
and Authie to build their abbey. The church had begun in 1156 and consecrated in 1220. It was surrounded by many buildings and had a large tower, a barn and two cloisters. Hostilities in the sixteenth and seventeenth century caused much damage. In the early years of the 18th century, the church building was reconstructed, as was the rest of the abbey around 1751 under the leadership of Dom Ignace Crépin with the guidance of the architect Arrageois Merville. After the revolution only the abbey church and agricultural outbuildings were left standing. The Marquis de Riencourt then transformed it into a chateau, Farm buildings were built between 1752 and 1755 by architect Claude Brunion and were expanded up to 1784. The current buildings facades are exceptional architecturally with bricks and stones.
The chateau was accidentally burned down by British troops in 1918.
The triangular pediment over the main gate bears the arms of the abbey and of the bishop of Amiens. It is typical of the classical architectural style of that period.