Chapelle du Saint-Esprit de Rue

Rue

Tradition relates that on the first Sunday of the year 1101, an inhabitant of Rue found on the shore a stranded boat, with no crew, carrying a crucifix said to have come from Jerusalem and held to be a work of divine making. Displayed in the old church, the "miraculous crucifix" gave rise to a renowned pilgrimage that ensured the growth of the port of Rue: Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, and King Louis XI were among the benefactors of the sanctuary. To receive the pilgrims, a dedicated chapel was raised: the lower chapel goes back to the 14th century, and the whole was sumptuously rebuilt and enlarged between 1440 and 1514, the narthex, the treasury room and the upper chapel dating from 1506–1514. With its vaults with pendant keystones, its openwork portal and its carved decoration "in the Flemish manner", it ranks among the three major buildings of Picard Flamboyant Gothic art. Listed as a historic monument as early as 1840, it was restored in the 19th century by Cheussey, Verdier and the Duthoit brothers, and again recently: statuary in 1996–2001, facades in 2004–2008. The sole remnant of the former religious complex, it stands on the place Anatole Gossellin, in the heart of the town.

Getting there : 10 place Anatole Gossellin, 80120 Rue; narthex freely accessible Tuesday to Saturday 9.30am–4.30pm; visits via the heritage service (03 22 25 69 94); staircase to the upper chapel.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound