It is 68 km (42 mi) west-northwest ofLille on the railway toCalais, and is located in theArtoisprovince. The town is named afterSaint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area.[4]
Thecanalised section of the riverAa begins at Saint-Omer, reaching theNorth Sea atGravelines in northern France. Below its walls, the Aa connects with theNeufossé Canal, which ends at the riverLys.
Saint-Omer first appeared in the writings during the 7th century under the name of Sithiu (Sithieu or Sitdiu), around the Saint-Bertin abbey founded on the initiative ofAudomar, (Odemaars or Omer).
Omer, bishop of Thérouanne, in the 7th century established theAbbey of Saint Bertin, from which that of Notre-Dame was an offshoot.[5] Rivalry and dissension, which lasted till theFrench Revolution, soon sprang up between the twomonasteries, becoming especially virulent when in 1559 St Omer became abishopric and Notre-Dame was raised to the rank of cathedral.
In the 9th century, the village that grew up round the monasteries took the name of St Omer. TheVikings laid the place to waste about 860 and 880. Ten years later the town and monastery had built fortified walls and were safe from their attack. Situated on the borders of territories frequently disputed by French,Flemish, English andSpaniards, St Omer for most of its history continued to be subject tosieges and military invasions.
Along with its textile industry, St-Omer throve in the 12th and 13th century. In 1127 the town received a communal charter from the count,William Clito, becoming the first town in West Flanders withcity rights. Later on the city lost its leading position in the textile industry toBruges. After the mysterious death ofCount Baldwin I, the County of Flanders was weakened. In 1212Philip II of France captured Baldwin's daughterJoan and her husbandFerdinand, Count of Flanders and forced them to sign theTreaty of Pont-à-Vendin, in which Artois was yielded to France. Ferdinand did not take this lying down, and allied withEmperor Otto IV andJohn, King of England, he battled Philip IIat Bouvines, but was defeated. Despite the political separation for the next 170 years, the city remained part of the economic network of Flanders.
The French made futile attempts against the town between 1551 and 1596. During theThirty Years' War, the French attacked in 1638 (underCardinal Richelieu) and again in 1647. Finally in 1677, after a seventeen-day siege,Louis XIV forced the town to capitulate. Thepeace of Nijmegen signed in the fall of 1678 permanently confirmed the conquest and its annexation by France.[6] In 1711, St-Omer was besieged by theDuke of Marlborough. With the town on the verge of surrendering because offamine, Jacqueline Robin risked her life to bring provisions into the town, in memory of which in 1884 a large statue of her was erected in front of the cathedral.
DuringWorld War I on 8 October 1914, theBritishRoyal Flying Corps (RFC) arrived in Saint-Omer and a headquarters was established at theaerodrome next to the local race course. For the following four years, Saint-Omer was a focal point for all RFC operations in the field. Although most squadrons only used Saint-Omer as a transit camp before moving on to other locations, the base grew in importance as it increased its logistic support to the RFC. ManyRoyal Air Force squadrons can trace their roots to formation at Saint-Omer during this period. Among which areNo. IX Squadron RAF which was formed at Saint-Omer, 14 December 1914[8] andNo. 16 Squadron RAF which was formed on 10 February 1915.[9]
During World War II, theLuftwaffe used the airfield. When theRAF's legless Battle of Britain ace,Douglas Bader, parachuted from his Spitfire during an aerial battle over France, he was initially treated at a Luftwaffe hospital at Saint-Omer. He had lost an artificial leg when bailing out,[10] and the RAF dropped him another one during a bombing raid.
Thefortifications (which had been improved byVauban in the 17th century) were demolished during the last decade of the 19th century, and boulevards and new thoroughfares built in their place. A section of the ramparts remains intact on the western side of the town, converted into a park known as thejardin public (public garden). There are twoharbours outside the city and another within its limits. Saint-Omer has wide streets and spacious squares.
19th century Cavaillé-Coll organ in the cathedral
The oldcathedral was constructed almost entirely in the 13th, 14th and centuries. A heavy square tower finished in 1499 surmounts the west portal. The church contains Biblical paintings, a colossal statue ofChrist seated between theVirgin Mary andSt John (13th century, originally belonging to the cathedral ofThérouanne and presented by the emperorCharles V), thecenotaph ofSaint Audomare (Omer) (13th century) and numerousex-votos. The richly decorated chapel in thetransept contains a wooden figure of the Virgin (12th century), the object ofpilgrimages. Of St Bertin church, part of the abbey (built between 1326 and 1520 on the site of previous churches) whereChilderic III retired to end his days, there remain some arches and a lofty tower, which serve to adorn a public garden. Several other churches or convent chapels are of interest, among them St Sepulchre (14th century), which has a stone spire andstained-glass windows. The cathedral has a huge Cavaillé-Coll organ, which is still playable.
Main square and theater (the old town hall)FormerSaint-Omer College English chapel
A collection of records, a picture gallery, and atheatre are all situated in thetown hall, built of the materials from the abbey of St Bertin. Several houses date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Hôtel Colbert, once the royal lodging, is now occupied by anarchaeologicalmuseum. The military hospital occupies the formerEnglish College, founded by theEnglishJesuits in 1593. It is now part of theLycée Alexandre Ribot. Besides the Lycée, there are schools of music and of art.
The old episcopal palace adjoining the cathedral is used as a court-house. Saint-Omer is the seat of a court of assizes and tribunals, of a chamber of commerce, and of a board of trade arbitration.
Until 1942, the chief statue in the town was that of Jacqueline Robin, who, according to the mythology, had helped the town resist a siege byMarlborough andPrince Eugene of Savoy in 1711. However, the statue disappeared during the German occupation, taken to be melted down.[12] Today, the remaining statues of people associated with the city:
Over the better part of the last century, the economy of Saint Omer had depended largely on one enterprise, that of the glass makerArc International[16] (situated in the neighbouring town of Arques). The economy of Saint Omer has diversified over the course of the past 50 years.[17] Aside from the glass works at Arc International, major employers in the area include:
The creation of new enterprises has seen a steady growth[18] in the past 10 years with 2 147 enterprises as of 2020.[19] In the town itself, there are a number of retail shops and services, as well as a large selection of restaurants, brasseries and cafés.
Historically, the economy of Saint Omer had also developed in the wetlands outside the city, known locally asle marais, which remains one of the last cultivatedmarais in France. The Marais Audomarois is currently listed as a UNESCO heritage site.[20] The agricultural output from this area continues year-round, thanks to the mild climate and fertile soil. Among the specialties, cauliflower is a notable product and is exported throughout Europe.[21] Other crops for which the area is known are carrots,[22] endive, and watercress.[23]
At the end of the marshes, on the borders of the forest of Clairmarais, are the ruins of the abbey founded in 1140 byThierry of Alsace.Thomas Becket sought refuge here in 1165. To the south of Saint-Omer, on a hill commanding the Aa, lies the camp ofHelfaut, often called the camp of Saint-Omer.
On the Canal de Neufossé, near the town, is theAscenseur des Fontinettes, a hydraulic lift which once raised and lowered canal boats to and from the Aa, over a height of 12m. This was replaced in 1967 by a largelock.
Saint-Omer is diverse in ethnic, linguistic and immigrant communities. Haut-Pont is a heavily West Flemish section of Saint-Omer which has Flemish/Belgian roots.[24] In the Southeast of the cathedral is a newly formedTurkish neighborhood; the majority of the local Turks are members of the Christian faith (i.e.Greek Orthodox or of ethnicGreek origin,Eastern Rite and Catholic converts), who arrived in France after World War I to escape religious persecution. Genealogists have noted the many cultural influences in the area, including British, Dutch, German, Austrian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak and Polish. It is believed the region's mining and glass manufacturing[25] industries contributed to a revived post-war (WWI and WWII era) population.
Thepublic library of Saint-Omer holds, in its rare books section,[26] one of the three French copies of the 42-lineGutenberg Bible, originally from the library of theAbbey of Saint Bertin. The other two copies are inParis. In November 2014, a previously unknown ShakespeareFirst Folio was found in a public library in Saint-Omer.[27] The book had lain undisturbed in the library for 200 years. The first 30 pages were missing. A number of experts assisted in authenticating the folio, which also had a name, "Neville", written on the first surviving page, indicating that it may have once been owned byEdward Scarisbrick. Scarisbrick had fled England due to anti-Catholic repression and attendedSaint-Omer College, a Jesuit institution.[28] Confirmation of its authenticity came from a professor at the University of Nevada and one of the world's foremost authorities on Shakespeare, Eric Rasmussen, who happened to be in London at the time.[29] The only other known copy of a First Folio in France is in theNational Library in Paris.[30]
Daniel Carroll (22 July 1730 in Upper Marlboro – 4 May 1796 in Rock Creek, Maryland), one of the founders of the United States; he was one of two Catholics who signed the Constitution of the United States. He had studied at the English Jesuit College of Saint Omer.
John Carroll (born 8 January 1735 in Upper Marlboro, England – 3 December 1815 in Baltimore), an American Jesuit priest who had studied at the English Jesuit College in Saint Omer. He was the 1st bishop in the United States (the diocese of Baltimore) and he founded Georgetown University.
Charles Carroll of Carrollton (19 September 1737 – 14 November 1832), delegate to the Continental Congress, senator from Maryland. He was the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence. Like his cousins, he also studied at the Jesuit College in Saint Omer.
Albert Louis Valentin Taviel [fr] (1767–1831), born in Saint-Omer, died in Paris, he was a general of the French Revolution and of the Empire.
Pierre Alexandre Joseph Allent (1772–1837), born in Saint Omer, he was a general of the French Revolution and of the Empire.
Martin Charles Gobrecht [fr] (1772–1845), born in Cassel (Flanders) and died in Saint-Omer, he was a general of the French Revolution and of the Empire.
Eugène Casimir Lebreton [fr] (1791–1876), born in Saint Omer, he served in the French army under the 1st Empire and later became a politician.
Joseph Bienaimé Caventou (born 1795 in Saint-Omer, died 1887 in Paris), chemist, pharmacist, co-discoverer of quinine
Émile Lefranc (27 August 1798 – 18..), born in Saint-Omer. Historian, geographer and author of school books. He was an associate professor at the university and also translated from ancient Greek into French and wrote in Latin.
Lazare Hippolyte Carnot (6 April 1801 – 16 March 1888 in Paris), French politician, born in Saint-Omer.
Louis Noël (9 February 1807 in Saint-Pierre-lez-Calais – 18 February 1875 in Saint-Omer), sculptor
Louis Martel (politician) [fr] (13 September 1813 in Saint-Omer – 4 March 1892 in Évreux), president of the Senate in France, minsute of Justice
Louis-François-Joseph Deschamps de Pas (25 June 1816 in Saint-Omer – 1 March 1890 in the same city), engineer and archaeologist. He published several important works concerning the archaeology in and around Saint Omer.
François Chifflart (25 March 1825 in Saint-Omer – 19 March 1901 in Paris), painter, illustrator and etcher
Alphonse de Neuville (31 May 1836 – 18 May 1885), painter. He was a student of Delacroix.
Tanguy Malmanche (7 September 1875 – 20 March 1953), French writer involved in the revival of Breton culture
Éric Morena (27 October 1951 – 16 November 2019)[1], French singer. He was born in Saint-Omer and was made famous by his 1987 hit "Oh ! Mon bateau".
Raoul Castex (27 October 1878 in Saint-Omer – 10 January 1968 in Villeneuve-de-Rivière), French Navy admiral and a military theorist. Founder of the IHEDN (Institut des hautes études de défense nationale).
Germaine Acremant (1889–1986), writer, notable for her workCes dames aux chapeaux vert
Robert Ficheux (ro) (1898–2005), French historian and geographer, born in Saint-Omer. Les Palmes Académiques (17 October 1998).
Jean-Pierre Évrard [fr], photographer, born in 1936 in Saint Omer, whose works ar notable for being exclusively in black and white[33] on paper
^Barber, Malcolm (1994).The new knighthood : a history of the Order of the Temple. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-42041-5.OCLC26807179.
