Église Saint-Nicolas - Boulogne-sur-mer

Today it is the oldest religious building in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

The church is located in the lower town, a district traditionally inhabited by sailors and fishermen. It was first mentioned in 1208 and dedicated to Saint Nicolas, the patron saint of sailors . The church was classified as a historical monument on 10 June 19261.

After its construction, it gradually replaced the first St. Peter's Church, which was built in the 7th century near the old port and disappeared in the 18th century. The oldest parts of the St. Nicholas Church are still in the choir and the transept. The building was plundered in 1492 during the siege of the lower town by Henry VII, King of England.

Major renovations were carried out in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the 18th century, the nave of Saint-Nicolas, which had become too small and above all unhealthy and threatening, was rebuilt by the Boulonnais architect Giraud Sannier.

The stone building consists of a nave with two aisles , a transept and a choir. The sober central nave is flanked by two aisles and enclosed by a blind facade. On the facade, the 19th-century sculptor John Hopkins depicted Saint Nicholas and the three children coming out of the salt cellar. Inside you will still find a 17th-century high altar and beautiful statues that are still often prayed for and sacrificed before today.

The transept is crowned by a low lantern tower with a massive slate-covered spire.

Willem Vandenameele