Abbeville Things to Do

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Carry finely carved by the Austrian Pfaffenhoffen (1715-1784) and worked in full wood.

Its casements with the contiurnées mouldings are decorated each one with garlands and a riffon high relief.

With the impostedes loves crown flowers.

The monograms of the pediment were carved at the 19th century.

Carry classified Historic building

HOTEL EMILE MAGNIER

Emile Magnier, acquired the old hospital of Ligny and made it demolish about 1865 to build a new construction.

It is with its initiative and that of his Jules brother that the “economic furnaces Jules Magnier” were opened in Abbeville in 1884.

They functioned a few years still after the war of 1940, their function was to distribute meals to the stripped people.

Museum Boucher de Perthes (2)

Jacques Boucher of Crèvecoeur de Perthes was born in Rethel in 1788 and died in Abbeville in 1868. He is regarded as one of the founders of Prehistory.

It is in Abbeville with the “Bench of the Hospital” Vauban boulevard currently that was discovered by him the first paleolithic axe on July 23, 1844.

The museum occupies the buildings remaining of the old Town hall of Abbeville and a modern building built in withdrawal. Objets d'art and medieval sculptures whose retable of the 15th century a money virgin of the 16th century, ceramics, tins and tapestries are exposed there. One notices the polychrome sculpture of Saint-Gengoulf, owner of the misled husbands and his wife undergoing the ordalie. Among other works, a statue of Camille Claudel “the Prayer” or “Psalm”. Paintings of the 16,17 and 18th century are represented there.

The prehistoric collections are centered on the discoveries of Stopping of Perthes and the sites of the Valley of the Somme.

CHURCH SAINT-JACOB (XIXème century)

A church existed on its site since 1136.

It was rebuilt in 1482 then cut down in 1838 for reasons of outdatedness probably.

The current church devoted in 1875 is of neo-gothic style

Inside, is it difficult to visit , because it's most of the time closed.

THE BELFRY AND THE MUSEUM BOUCHER OF PERTHES

Built since 1209, the Belfry, one of oldest of France, are a 20 meters height quadrangular tower whose walls are at their base 2,30 meters thickness. The unit is closer to the seigneuriaux keeps of the 12th century than of the elegant belfries of the 14 and 15th centuries. The tower of the belfry close to the enclosure of the city was used as turn of guet until construction of the towers of Collègiale Saint-Vulfran. It is capped with a surmounted high-bell-tower of frame of a wind vane representing the Count de Ponthieu with horse. Its austere appearance contrasts with the character more decorated with the Treasury built in 1467-1468. On the turret of staircase, with the angle of the Belfry and Treasury, a low-relief of Emmanuel Fontaine was posed in 1887. It commemorates the heroism of Abbevillois Ringois thrown to the sea in 1368 to have refused to lend oath of fidelity to king Edouard d' Angleterre.Détruit during the bombardments of May 1940, the Belfry was restored (work completed in 1986)

Vulfran Saint church (7) the wood gate

Although not completed this one is one of the most remarkable monuments of Gothic style blazing being combined here with the central gate Renaissance.

Ennoville Park (2)

Today the park open to the public counts more than one ten rare species among which Liriodendron Tulipifera or Tulipier of Virginia, Laburnum Alpinium, Liquidambar Styraciflua, Gingko Biloba, the Sequoia Giganteum, the Cedar of Lebanon… majority of these trees being old of more than 150 years. In the private mansion, the City installed successively the Museum of Abbeville and Ponthieu, the Town hall during the last war until 1960 then the Public library. This one is one of oldest of France. Founded in 1643 by the canon Jean de Boulenois, old principal of the college, it shelters more than 160000 volumes, an important collection of watercolours of Oswald Macqueron, incunables and some manuscripts remarkable.

GARDENS Of EMONVILLE AND PUBLIC LIBRARY

Property at the 19th century of the family of Abbeville: Foucques d' Emonville. Arthur Foucques d' Emonville botanist and collector of camellias made build in 1861 within Mr. Lefuel, the architect of Louvre, a private mansion called of Emonville and some greenhouses essential to his plantations. With its death its nephews sold the property at the town of Abbeville. One of the greenhouses assigned to the municipal service of the plantations probably dates from Foucques.