La Thiérache – Rocroi Plateau – Sormonne Valley - Office de ...

◆ Fortified church in Aouste - C2
St. Remy’s Church in Aouste is one of the strangest and best-known of the fortified white
stone churches of the Ardennes. It is a listed building, having been constructed in the 15th and
17th centuries. A Gothic column kept during a later construction period proves that an older
church once stood on this spot.
The exterior is robust. The Flamboyant
Gothic/Renaissance West door is topped
by a bartizan. The square tower, a sort of
belfry, is older than the church itself. The
walls are one metre thick and are topped
by crenelations and arrow slits. A spiral
staircase in the cant-walled tower leads up
to the top. This is where local people
would seek refuge in times of invasion in the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the tower was
connected with the top of the vaulting in the nave, people could stay there, store their
furniture there and even bring their animals there. On the site of the font, in the bakehouse
adjacent to the tower are a well (now walled up) and a vast fireplace, enabling people to
isolate themselves here for some considerable time.
The interior is elegant in its simplicity - a four-span nave flanked
by side aisles closed off by a five-sided chancel containing a
marble high altar with six Corinthian columns beneath a canopy.
All the stained glass dates from the 19th century.
Église Saint-Rémi d’Aouste - 08290 AOUSTE
Information:
Association Socioculturelle d’Aouste
Tel. +33(0) 324 544 032
◆ Fortified buildings in Antheny - C2
The village of Antheny en Thiérache in the Ton Valley is unusual because it boasts two significant
fortified buildings - a 16th-century fortified church with a 13th-century bell tower and
a 17th-century fortified private house in the hamlet of Fontenelle. It is a remarkable village
with origins far back in the mists of time. Its houses, however, were razed to the ground in
the 17th century, watched by the villagers who had sought refuge in the fortified church.
Amazingly, villages were allowed to build fortified houses at that time. This is why, if you
look carefully at the housefronts in the village,
you will still see traces of fortifications.
Église fortifiée d’Antheny
08260 ANTHENY
Maison fortifiée -
Hamlet of Fontenelle
08260 ANTHENY
(Private property, not open to the public).
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◆ St. Martin’s fortified church in Bossus-les-Rumigny - C1
The fortified church in Bossus-les-
Rumigny seems to date from the 17th
century. Built in several stages, the
keystone above the altar dates from
1575. It is a rectangular church with a
crenelated tower and turrets. The
chancel includes a shelter, part of
which is on the first floor. Its windows
form a system of defence.
The village of Bossus-les-Rumigny
is typical of the Thiérache area. It
includes an octagonal stone dovecote, an old watermill (now restored) and an old
wash-house.
Église fortifiée Saint-Martin de Bossus-les-Rumigny
08290 BOSSUS-LES-RUMIGNY
◆ Fortified church in Chilly - C3
According to Albert Meyrac, the fortified church in Chilly dates from the late 15th century.
Its chancel and sanctuary are remarkable for the ogival arches and lancets. In days gone by,
villagers would take shelter in the tall church tower during a siege, to defend the village. In
fact, you can still see traces of crenelations and machicolations.
Église fortifiée de Chilly
08260 CHILLY
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