43-576: Saint-Omer ( French pronunciation: [sɛ̃.t‿omɛʁ] ; West Flemish : Sint-Omaars ; Picard : Saint-Onmé ) is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France. It is 68 km (42 mi) west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais , and is located in the Artois province . The town is named after Saint Audomar , who brought Christianity to
86-856: A French one under Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy , in which the Anglo-Flemish force was forced to withdraw. From 1384, St-Omer was part of the Burgundian Netherlands , from 1482 of the Habsburg Netherlands and from 1581 to 1678 of the Spanish Netherlands . The French made futile attempts against the town between 1551 and 1596. During the Thirty Years' War , the French attacked in 1638 (under Cardinal Richelieu ) and again in 1647. Finally in 1677, after
129-727: A Jesuit institution. Confirmation of its authenticity came from a professor at the University of Nevada and one of the world's foremost authorities on Shakespeare, Eric Rasmussen, who happened to be in London at the time. The only other known copy of a First Folio in France is in the National Library in Paris. St. Omer was the host of the 2022 Canoe Polo world championships. Saint Omer is twinned with: West Flemish language Too Many Requests If you report this error to
172-453: A bureaucracy of clerks, allowed the dukes to become celebrated art patrons and establish a glamorous court life that gave rise to conventions of behavior that lasted for centuries. Philip the Good (1419–1467) extended his personal control to the southeast; bringing Brussels , Namur and Liège under his control. He channeled the traditional independence of the cities through such mechanisms as
215-424: A large selection of restaurants, brasseries and cafés. Historically, the economy of Saint Omer had also developed in the wetlands outside the city, known locally as le marais , which remains one of the last cultivated marais in France. The Marais Audomarois is currently listed as a UNESCO heritage site. The agricultural output from this area continues year-round, thanks to the mild climate and fertile soil. Among
258-651: A large statue of her was erected in front of the cathedral. The College of Saint Omer was established in 1593 by Fr Robert Persons SJ , an English Jesuit , to educate English Roman Catholics. After the Protestant Reformation , England had established penal laws against Roman Catholic education in the country. The college operated in St Omer until 1762, when it migrated to Bruges and then to Liège in 1773. It finally moved to England in 1794, settling at Stonyhurst , Lancashire . Former students of
301-450: A seventeen-day siege, Louis XIV forced the town to capitulate. The peace of Nijmegen signed in the fall of 1678 permanently confirmed the conquest and its annexation by France. In 1711, St-Omer was besieged by the Duke of Marlborough . With the town on the verge of surrendering because of famine , Jacqueline Robin risked her life to bring provisions into the town, in memory of which in 1884
344-443: A stone spire and stained-glass windows. The cathedral has a huge Cavaillé-Coll organ, which is still playable. A collection of records, a picture gallery, and a theatre are all situated in the town hall , built of the materials from the abbey of St Bertin. Several houses date from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Hôtel Colbert, once the royal lodging, is now occupied by an archaeological museum . The military hospital occupies
387-454: A transit camp before moving on to other locations, the base grew in importance as it increased its logistic support to the RFC. Many Royal Air Force squadrons can trace their roots to formation at Saint-Omer during this period. Among which are No. IX Squadron RAF which was formed at Saint-Omer, 14 December 1914 and No. 16 Squadron RAF which was formed on 10 February 1915. During World War II,
430-709: The Battle of Guinegate in 1479. Though Maximilian was victorious, he was only able to gain the County of Flanders according to the 1482 Treaty of Arras after his wife Mary had suddenly died, while France retained Artois. In her testament, Mary of Burgundy had bequested the Burgundian heritage to her and Maximilian's son, Philip the Handsome . His father, dissatisfied with the terms of the Arras agreement, continued to contest
473-624: The County of Artois and Saint-Omer ( Sint-Omaars in Dutch) became part of the County of Flanders for the next three centuries. In 1071 Philip I and the teenage Count Arnulf III of Flanders were defeated at St Omer by Arnulf's uncle and former protector, Robert the Frisian , who subsequently became the Count of Flanders until his death in 1093. Along with its textile industry, St-Omer flourished in
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#1732772961149516-692: The Lordship of Mechelen , and the Boulonnais . Up to 1464, the Duke only maintained ties with each of the provincial States separately. In principle, the provincial Estates were composed of representatives of the three traditional estates : clergy , nobility and the Third Estate, but the exact composition and influence of each estate (within the provincial Estates) could differ. Convening an Estates General in which all provincial Estates were represented
559-804: The Low Countries ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy during the Burgundian Age between 1384 and 1482. Within their Burgundian State , which itself belonged partly to the Holy Roman Empire and partly to the Kingdom of France , the dukes united these lowlands into a political union that went beyond a personal union as it gained central institutions for the first time (such as the States General ). The period began with Duke Philip
602-552: The Luftwaffe used the airfield. When the RAF 's legless Battle of Britain ace, Douglas Bader , parachuted from his Spitfire during an aerial battle over France, he was initially treated at a Luftwaffe hospital at Saint-Omer. He had lost an artificial leg when bailing out, and the RAF dropped him another one during a bombing raid. The fortifications (which had been improved by Vauban in
645-489: The Treaty of Pont-à-Vendin , in which Artois was yielded to France. Ferdinand did not take this lying down, and allied with Emperor Otto IV and John, King of England , he battled Philip II at Bouvines , but was defeated. Despite the political separation for the next 170 years, the city remained part of the economic network of Flanders. In 1340 a large battle was fought in the town's suburbs between an Anglo-Flemish army and
688-491: The transept contains a wooden figure of the Virgin (12th century), the object of pilgrimages . Of St Bertin church, part of the abbey (built between 1326 and 1520 on the site of previous churches) where Childeric III retired to end his days, there remain some arches and a lofty tower, which serve to adorn a public garden. Several other churches or convent chapels are of interest, among them St Sepulchre (14th century), which has
731-531: The 12th and 13th century. In 1127 the town received a communal charter from the count, William Clito , becoming the first town in West Flanders with city rights . Later on the city lost its leading position in the textile industry to Bruges . After the mysterious death of Count Baldwin I , the County of Flanders was weakened. In 1214 Philip II of France captured Baldwin's daughter Joan and her husband Ferdinand, Count of Flanders and forced them to sign
774-422: The 17th century) were demolished during the last decade of the 19th century, and boulevards and new thoroughfares built in their place. A section of the ramparts remains intact on the western side of the town, converted into a park known as the jardin public (public garden). There are two harbours outside the city and another within its limits. Saint-Omer has wide streets and spacious squares. The old cathedral
817-531: The 7th century established the Abbey of Saint Bertin , from which that of Notre-Dame was an offshoot. Rivalry and dissension, which lasted till the French Revolution , soon sprang up between the two monasteries , becoming especially virulent when in 1559 St Omer became a bishopric and Notre-Dame was raised to the rank of cathedral. In the 9th century, the village that grew up round the monasteries took
860-803: The Bold taking office as count of Flanders and Artois in 1384 and lasted until the death of Duchess Mary of Burgundy in 1482 after which the Burgundian State was dissolved, and the Low Countries came under the rule of the Habsburg monarchy by inheritance. In the 15th century, it was customary to refer to the Low Countries where the Duke of Burgundy ruled and usually resided as les pays de par-deçà meaning "the lands over here" as opposed to Burgundy proper (in Central France) which
903-571: The Burgundian possessions in the Low Countries. The Imperial fiefs passed to the Austrian House of Habsburg through Charles' daughter Mary of Burgundy and her husband Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg , son of Emperor Frederick III . Maximilian, however, regarded the Burgundian Netherlands including Flanders and Artois as the undivided domains of his wife and himself and marched against the French. The conflict culminated at
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#1732772961149946-677: The College of Saint Omer include John Carroll , his brother Daniel and his cousin Charles . During World War I on 8 October 1914, the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) arrived in Saint-Omer and a headquarters was established at the aerodrome next to the local race course. For the following four years, Saint-Omer was a focal point for all RFC operations in the field. Although most squadrons only used Saint-Omer as
989-606: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 540204988 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:49:21 GMT Burgundian Netherlands The Burgundian Netherlands ( Latin : Burgundiae Belgicae , French : Pays-Bas bourguignons , Dutch : Bourgondische Nederlanden , Luxembourgish : Burgundesch Nidderlanden , Walloon : Bas Payis borguignons ) were those parts of
1032-693: The area. The canalised section of the river Aa begins at Saint-Omer, reaching the North Sea at Gravelines in northern France. Below its walls, the Aa connects with the Neufossé Canal , which ends at the river Lys . Saint-Omer first appeared in the writings during the 7th century under the name of Sithiu (Sithieu or Sitdiu), around the Saint-Bertin abbey founded on the initiative of Audomar , (Odemaars or Omer). Omer, bishop of Thérouanne , in
1075-724: The camp of Helfaut , often called the camp of Saint-Omer. On the Canal de Neufossé, near the town, is the Ascenseur des Fontinettes , a hydraulic lift which once raised and lowered canal boats to and from the Aa, over a height of 12m. This was replaced in 1967 by a large lock . During the Second World War , the area was chosen as a launch site for the V-2 rocket . The nearby blockhouse at Éperlecques and underground complex of La Coupole were built for this purpose and are open to
1118-518: The first Estates-General , and consolidating of the region's economy. The first Estates General of the Burgundian territories met in the City Hall of Bruges on 9 January 1464. It included delegates from the Duchy of Brabant , the County of Flanders , Lille, Douai and Orchies , the County of Artois , the County of Hainaut , the County of Holland , the County of Zeeland , the County of Namur ,
1161-608: The first of the Valois dukes of Burgundy at Dijon , who thus inherited the County of Flanders . The Flemish comital House of Dampierre had been French vassals, who held territory around the affluent cities of Bruges and Ghent , but also adjacent lands in former Lower Lorraine east of the Scheldt river ("Imperial Flanders") including the exclave of Mechelen , which were a fief of the Holy Roman Empire, and furthermore
1204-601: The former English College , founded by the English Jesuits in 1593. It is now part of the Lycée Alexandre Ribot . Besides the Lycée, there are schools of music and of art. The old episcopal palace adjoining the cathedral is used as a court-house. Saint-Omer is the seat of a court of assizes and tribunals, of a chamber of commerce, and of a board of trade arbitration. Until 1942, the chief statue in
1247-537: The former Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles . In the following decades, the Burgundian dukes expanded their territories in the Low Countries by the acquisition of several Imperial States : Duke Philip the Good purchased the County of Namur in 1421, inherited the Duchies of Brabant and Limburg in 1430, and seized the Counties of Hainaut , Holland and Zeeland in 1432, and the Duchy of Luxembourg in 1441. His son,
1290-444: The glass maker Arc International (situated in the neighbouring town of Arques). The economy of Saint Omer has diversified over the course of the past 50 years. Aside from the glass works at Arc International, major employers in the area include: The creation of new enterprises has seen a steady growth in the past 10 years with 2 147 enterprises as of 2020. In the town itself, there are a number of retail shops and services, as well as
1333-430: The intensely local partisanship, the various taxation systems, weights and measures, internal customs barriers, fiercely defended local rights were all hindrances to a "good Valois". Attempts at enlarging personal control by the dukes resulted in revolts among the independent towns (sometimes supported by independent local nobles) and bloody military suppression in response. An increasingly modernized central government, with
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1376-459: The last Burgundian duke Charles the Bold , in 1473 annexed the Duchy of Guelders , which had been pawned by late Arnold of Egmond . The Valois era would last until 1477, when Duke Charles the Bold died at the Battle of Nancy leaving no male heir. The territorial Duchy of Burgundy reverted to the French crown according to Salic law , and King Louis XI of France also seized the French portion of
1419-628: The library of the Abbey of Saint Bertin . The other two copies are in Paris . In November 2014, a previously unknown Shakespeare First Folio was found in a public library in Saint-Omer. The book had lain undisturbed in the library for 200 years. The first 30 pages were missing. A number of experts assisted in authenticating the folio, which also had a name, "Neville", written on the first surviving page, indicating that it may have once been owned by Edward Scarisbrick . Scarisbrick had fled England due to anti-Catholic repression and attended Saint-Omer College ,
1462-409: The many cultural influences in the area, including British, Dutch, German, Austrian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak and Polish. It is believed the region's mining and glass manufacturing industries contributed to a revived post-war (WWI and WWII era) population. The public library of Saint-Omer holds, in its rare books section, one of the three French copies of the 42-line Gutenberg Bible , originally from
1505-411: The name of St Omer. The Normans laid the place waste about 860 and 880. Ten years later the town and monastery had built fortified walls and were safe from their attack. Situated on the borders of territories frequently disputed by French, Flemish , English and Spaniards , St Omer for most of its history continued to be subject to sieges and military invasions. In 932 Arnulf of Flanders conquered
1548-421: The neighbouring French County of Artois . Together they initiated an era of Burgundian governance in the Low Countries. The Dampierre legacy further comprised the French counties of Rethel in northern Champagne and Nevers west of Burgundy proper, both held by Philip's younger son Philip II from 1407, as well as the County of Burgundy ( Franche-Comté ) east of it, an Imperial fief which had been part of
1591-620: The public. Saint-Omer is diverse in ethnic, linguistic and immigrant communities. Haut-Pont is a heavily West Flemish section of Saint-Omer which has Flemish/Belgian roots. In the Southeast of the cathedral is a newly formed Turkish neighborhood; the majority of the local Turks are members of the Christian faith (i.e. Greek Orthodox or of ethnic Greek origin, Eastern Rite and Catholic converts), who arrived in France after World War I to escape religious persecution. Genealogists have noted
1634-738: The seized French territories. In 1493, King Charles VIII of France according to the Treaty of Senlis finally renounced Artois, which together with Flanders was incorporated into the Imperial Seventeen Provinces under the rule of Philip. The population of the main provinces of the Low Countries in 1477 ( Prince-Bishoprics in italics ). The Burgundian dukes who ruled the Burgundian territories were: House of Valois, territorial Dukes of Burgundy House of Valois, titular Duchess of Burgundy House of Habsburg, titular Dukes of Burgundy (see Habsburg Netherlands ) The sheer burden of variety of bishoprics and independent cities,
1677-408: The specialties, cauliflower is a notable product and is exported throughout Europe. Other crops for which the area is known are carrots, endive, and watercress. At the end of the marshes, on the borders of the forest of Clairmarais, are the ruins of the abbey founded in 1140 by Thierry of Alsace . Thomas Becket sought refuge here in 1165. To the south of Saint-Omer, on a hill commanding the Aa, lies
1720-484: The town was that of Jacqueline Robin, who, according to the mythology, had helped the town resist a siege by Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1711. However, the statue disappeared during the German occupation, taken to be melted down. Today, the remaining statues of people associated with the city: Over the better part of the last century, the economy of Saint Omer had depended largely on one enterprise, that of
1763-530: Was constructed almost entirely in the 13th, 14th and centuries. A heavy square tower finished in 1499 surmounts the west portal. The church contains Biblical paintings, a colossal statue of Christ seated between the Virgin Mary and St John (13th century, originally belonging to the cathedral of Thérouanne and presented by the emperor Charles V ), the cenotaph of Saint Audomare (Omer) (13th century) and numerous ex-votos . The richly decorated chapel in
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1806-502: Was designated les pays de par-delà meaning "the lands over there" (see also Terminology of the Low Countries ). A fair share (but not most) of these territories were inherited by the Burgundian dukes, a younger branch of the French royal House of Valois , upon the death of Count Louis II of Flanders in 1384. His heiress, Margaret III of Flanders in 1369 had married Philip the Bold , youngest son of King John II of France and
1849-512: Was part of Philip the Good 's policy of centralisation . From 1441, Philip based his ducal court in Brussels, but Bruges was the world center of commerce, though by the 1480s the inevitable silting of its harbor was bringing its economic hegemony to a close. Philip was a great patron of illuminated manuscripts and court painting reached new highs: Robert Campin , the famous Van Eyck brothers, and Rogier van der Weyden . In 1491 and 1492,
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