Basilica of Saint-Quentin

About

Saint Quentin Basilica is a Catholic church located in the centre of Saint Quentin, in the French department of Aisne. Dedicated to Saint Quentin of Saint Quentin, martyr of the third century, it is linked to the history of devotion to this saint: it contains the relics, objects of an important cult throughout the Middle Ages. Several churches have been on this site since the middle of the fourth century.

As for the present edifice, it was born from the ambition of the Canons of Saint Quentin, who wanted to demonstrate their power and independence from the bishops. So they wanted to build a church that exceeded nearby cathedrals in size, especially those of Noyon and Soissons. The building was built laboriously from the twelfth to the fifteenth century by bringing together all the successive evolutions of Gothic architecture.

However, because of financial constraints and wars, it could never be completed. In place of the monumental façade envisaged, the basilica thus retains its tower-porch inherited from the ancient Carolingian abbey, which gives it its singular appearance. As a royal collegiate, the church received the...