Saint-Riquier | |
|---|---|
 Hôtel-Dieu | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Saint-Riquier | |
  Saint-Riquier  Saint-Riquier | |
| Coordinates:50°08′01″N1°56′53″E / 50.1336°N 1.9481°E /50.1336; 1.9481 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Department | Somme |
| Arrondissement | Abbeville |
| Canton | Rue |
| Intercommunality | CC Ponthieu-Marquenterre |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2021–2026) | Yves Monin[1] |
Area 1 | 14.48 km2 (5.59 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 1,268 |
| • Density | 87.57/km2 (226.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 80716 /80135 |
| Elevation | 19–97 m (62–318 ft) (avg. 22 m or 72 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Saint-Riquier (French pronunciation:[sɛ̃ʁikje];Picard:Saint-Ritchier) is acommune in theSommedepartment inHauts-de-France in northernFrance.
The commune is situated 6 kilometres (4 mi) northeast ofAbbeville, on the D925 and D32 crossroads.
Saint-Riquier was originally known asCentula orCentulum. It gained fame for its abbey, founded about 625 byRicharius (Riquier), son of the governor of the town, which lay within the kingdom ofAustrasia. The foundation was enriched by KingDagobert I and prospered under the abbacy ofAngilbert, son-in-law ofCharlemagne, in the early 9th century. In 881,Vikings burned the abbey and destroyed much of the town.
The monastery was rebuilt in the Middle Ages on a smaller scale. The abbey was part of thediocese of Amiens inPonthieu. The earlycounts of Ponthieu originally were styledadvocatus of the abbey of Saint Riquier and "castellan" ofAbbeville. The counts of Ponthieu enrolled their younger sons who were going into religious vocations at the abbey.Count Enguerrand I placed his sons, Fulk, later abbot ofForest-l'Abbaye, andGuy, later thebishop of Amiens, in Saint Riquier for their education. Their teacher was abbot Enguerrand "the Wise" (d. 9 December 1045), under whose rule Saint Riquier enjoyed its "golden age." The abbey held estates inNorfolk,England.
Today's 18th century buildings are occupied by an ecclesiastical seminary. The present church, built in the 13th and 14th centuries, is a magnificent example ofFlamboyant Gothic architecture, and has a richly sculptured front on the west, surmounted by a square tower. In the interior the fine vaulting, theRenaissance font and carved stalls, and the frescoes in the treasury are especially noteworthy. Among other valuable relics, the treasury possesses a copper cross said to be the work ofSaint Eloi (Eligius).
In 1536 Saint-Riquier repulsed an attack by the Germans, during its defense the women especially distinguishing themselves. In 1544 it was burned by the English, an event that marks the beginning of its decline.
The bell-tower of Saint-Riquier was inscribed on theUNESCOWorld Heritage List in 2005 because of its architecture and testimony to the rise of municipal power in the area during the late Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.[3]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 1,176 | — |
| 1975 | 1,205 | +0.35% |
| 1982 | 1,165 | −0.48% |
| 1990 | 1,166 | +0.01% |
| 1999 | 1,186 | +0.19% |
| 2007 | 1,254 | +0.70% |
| 2012 | 1,252 | −0.03% |
| 2017 | 1,258 | +0.10% |
| Source: INSEE[4] | ||
:Stutensee-Friedrichstal, Germany, since 1982.
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