Saint Sylvan and Saint George

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In the centre of the village, the church is the witness of the history of this community, called Auchy the Monks for a long time. An abbey of nuns, established around 670 A.D. welcomed Saint Sylvan, who died there. The abbey was destroyed by the Vikings in 881.

In 1072 Benedictine monks founded a new abbey, evangelized and developed the agriculture, and organized the life of the village. The French Revolution ended it all in 1791.

The abbey church shows the scars of the vicissitudes of history; the monks built their sanctuary under the patronage of Saint Sylvan in the 12th century, the thick pillars in the centre of the nave are the remains of it. This first and vast abbey church was at its peak during the 13th and 14th centuries. Victim of numerous conflicts during the 15th and 16th centuries, it was very dilapidated towards 1600.

Its reconstruction was started a little after this date, on the smaller basis of today, less impressive, but the magnificent monks’ stalls and the wood paneling give it a serene atmosphere. The main altar and the organ case, were installed between 1680 and 1720, while the stained glass windows and the side altars date from the 19th century.