THE ABBEY SITE OF SAINT-MICHEL

Here, one is inspired by the spirituality of a thousand-year-old abbey, one of the rare Benedictine sites in the north of France. There are three main building periods: the 12th century for the choir and transept, the 17th century for the nave and the early 18th century for the cloister and claustrade buildings. Mural paintings decorate six bays of the north wing of the cloister. They were discovered by chance in 1987 during work carried out by a Scottish research group and are considered to be a unique ensemble in Europe. They depict the work and life of Benedict of Nursia who established the Benedictine order. Another renowned jewel of this site is the organ of Jean Boizard. Built in 1714, it escaped the Revolution and the many fires that ravaged the building. The maintenance of this rare audible and reliable specimen is carried out by Georg Estenfelder. The remarkable acoustics of the church enhance the quality of its workmanship, particularly on the occasion of the festival of ancient and baroque sacred music and of the Tempéments collection of recordings, devoted to the most beautiful organs in France and Europe.

In September, European Heritage Days (free of charge) with the Sunday exhibition of arts and crafts and various workshops. Every year, festival of ancient and baroque music in June and early July.