Saint-Landelin

In 1236, the first chapel was built by Nicolas Roussiau, knight and lord of Quérénaing. It became a parish church and took on its present form during the 16th century. All that remains of this chapel is the Romanesque choir. It houses a stained-glass window depicting the massacre of 25 August 1914, when houses were burnt down and the inhabitants massacred, represented by stars. 

Over the centuries, the building has suffered a great deal of damage. From a hurricane in 1876 - which prevented it from being listed as a Historic Monument - to the explosion of a German lorry loaded with munitions during the Second World War - which destroyed all the stained glass windows. 

The current Gothic nave is vaulted in the shape of a ship's hull and supported by arched beams decorated with sculpted figures.

A visit to the church in Quérénaing is a chance to discover the local history, and shows the determination of the local people to preserve and enhance this shared heritage.

Did you know? The church is dedicated to Saint Landelin, a former brigand who became a founding abbot. In the middle of the 7th century, Landelin went from leading a band of brigands to becoming a monk. Welcomed by Saint Aubert, then Bishop of Cambrai, he took control of his life and devoted the rest of his life to prayer and founding monasteries: Lobbes and Aulne in Belgium, Wallers-en-Fagne and Crespin, where he died in 686.

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