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The 13 Hours of Tuesday April 25 makes you discover the famous fortified churches of Thiérache, a territory located between Hauts-de-France and Belgium, which was once a land of passage. Jewels of bricks and stones resembling fortresses, built in the 16th century.
At first sight, their robust silhouettes recall those of castles. But they are nevertheless fortified churches. In Thiérache, in the Aisne department, almost every village has its own, like in Plomion (Aisne), 500 inhabitants. “At the time, in the 16th century, we had to protect ourselves, we transformed a church that already existed to give it the appearance of a fortress”explains Christian Vanneau, president of the Archaeological and Historical Society of Vervins and Thiérache.
The inhabitants took refuge in their place of worship
To protect themselves from looters, the inhabitants made their place of worship a stronghold, in agreement with the clergy. Everything is planned to stop the enemy, like a trapdoor hidden in the ceiling. The guards could sound the alarm in the event of an attack. Up to 2,000 inhabitants then came to take refuge on the floors, and this could last several days. For visitors, it’s a gripping dive into a turbulent time.
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