THE ABBEY DISTRICT: THE SAINT-VAAST ABBEY AND THE CATHEDRAL

The Saint-Vaast Abbey and the Cathedral together form the largest eighteenth-century religious architectural grouping in France. Founded in the seventh century, the construction of the Abbey marked the birth of the Medieval town. The huge scale of the construction we see today is an accurate reflection of the economic and spiritual role it has played in the town’s artistic and cultural development down the ages. The Cathedral, in Neoclassical style, contains some marvels (sculptures of saints from the Pantheon, Aubusson tapestry among other things) and a few Art Deco surprises. Today, the Abbey is home to the Museum of Fine Arts and an ultra-modern mediatheque (successor to the great library of Saint-Vaast).
At the entrance to the Cathedral, a QR-code will give access to information on the Diocese of Arras.