A VISIT TO MONTDIDIER.

Abutting on the Esplanade du Prieuré is the Benedictines' Priory which, before the war, was a college. Opposite is the Palais-de-Justice. These two buildings suffered severely from the bombardments.

The Palais-de-Justice was built on the site of the old Château of the Counts of Montdidier. The entrance was all that remained of the Château at the beginning of the 14th century. The remains of this door were used in the construction of the building known as the Salle du Roy.

Montdidier. The Palais-de-Justice. (1919.)

The Salle du Roy is built over a vaulted passage, situated opposite the Esplanade du Prieuré. To the west, an imposing gable rises above the cliffs, its thick walls reinforced in the centre by an enormous buttress, at the northern corner by a smaller buttress, and at the southern corner by an octagonal turret.

The Palais-de-Justice in 1917.

The entrance to the Palais-de-Justice is below the vaulted passage. On the first story, the Entrance Hall and the corridor leading to the Audience Chamber were decorated with six large Brussels tapestries, believed to be work of Henry Reydams (17th century). Made originally for the town of Douai, they were taken from the Château of Ferrières—pulled down in 1809—in the Department of Oise. The subjects, taken from the Book of Exodus, depicted: The Crossing of the Red Sea; the Hebrews glorifying God; Gathering Manna; Moses striking the Rock; Making the Golden Calf; Worshipping the Golden Calf. The 1st, 3rd and 4th were faithful reproductions of tapestries in the Cathedral of Chartres, said to have been made after drawings by Raphael.

The Tomb of Raoul de Crépy.

The other public buildings of Montdidier stood in the main road which divides the town from north to south into two unequal parts. The first of these was the Church of St. Pierre (Hist. Mon.) reached by passing under the archway of the Palais-de-Justice and following Rue St. Pierre.

The interior of St. Peter's Church.

Of this church hardly anything remains except the walls and débris. Portions of the building were 14th century, but most of it dated from the 16th century. The tower, now in ruins, was added in 1742. The doorway was the most remarkable part of the building. The plans were the work of Chaperon (1538), the master-mason of Beauvais Cathedral. The style is a combination of flamboyant Gothic (central dividing pillar, archways, springing of the archways, and niches with socle and canopy at the base of the main pillars), and Renaissance (voluted niches and trefoiled bell-turrets, at the top of the pillars). At the top of the accolade-shaped arch was a shield bearing the arms of France, surrounded by St. Michael's collar, the three crescents of Henri II, and a monogram combining the "H" of Henri II, the double "D" of Diane de Poitiers, and the double "C" of Catherine de Médicis. The side-walls of the church are sustained by buttresses. In accordance with a custom fairly common in Picardy, each bay of the side-aisles had its own separate roof forming a right-angle with that of the great nave. The interior, with its three naves, massive pillars and low 15th century vaulting—lower at the choir end than near the doorway—appeared somewhat heavy in style.

Montdidier Cemetery (north-east of the town). See Itinerary, p. 98.

Place Faidherbe.

(At the end of Rue de Roye, which comes out into Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville. See p. 98).]

At the bottom of the left aisle, a reclining statue was said to depict Count Raoul de Crépy, and to have formed part of the tomb which the Count had built in the 11th century, while still alive. This statue escaped destruction during the Revolution, and was deposited in the church in 1862. As a matter of fact, it probably dates from the 13th or 14th century, and does not represent Raoul de Crépy.

In the adjoining chapel is a Burial Scene comprising seven figures grouped around that of Christ. As in the Tomb of St. Germain-les-Fossés at Amiens, Mary Magdalene occupies the centre of the group, whereas this place is usually reserved for the Virgin.

The font (probably 11th. century) is the oldest known specimen of the type used in Picardy between the 11th and 16th centuries. The low, square basin rests on five supports, the principal one being in the centre, the other four lesser columns at the corners. The columns, originally in stone, were replaced in the course of time by wooden ones. A belt ornamented with eight heads of rather primitive design runs round the basin. The rest of the decoration, much defaced, includes two entwined heads, grapes, and doves drinking out of a vase.

The tomb, said to be that of Raoul de Crépy, the "Burial Scene" and the font are believed to lie buried under the débris.

The organ loft, composed of the remains of fine Renaissance wood carving of uncertain origin, was destroyed.

Keep along Rue St. Pierre to Place de la Croix-Bleue, in which stood the Statue of Parmentier (by Malknecht), erected in 1848. Only the pedestal remains. Parmentier, who introduced and popularized potato growing in France, was a native of Montdidier.

The Statue of Parmentier (1914).

The Statue of Parmentier and a corner of the town, in 1919
looking towards St. Peter's Church, seen behind. Tourists follow the road on the left.

Rue de la Croix-Bleue leads to Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville. On the right stands the modern Hôtel-de-Ville which replaced the old Louis XIII building and a Renaissance house on its right. The automaton bell-striker of the old tower, known as Jean Duquesne, which used to strike the hours with a hammer, was erected on the top of the new belfry.

Montdidier.—The Hotel-de-Ville.

Rue Parmentier is next reached, at the entrance to which is the 16th century Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Montdidier.—Rue Parmentier and the Church of St. Sepulchre (1914).

Its modern flamboyant Gothic doorway replaced the old portal which, jutting out in front of the church, was ornamented with a hanging garden. On this side, the square tower of the belfry only is ancient. The five-sided chevet overlooks the small court of the presbytery.

The interior comprises a central and two side naves. Only the vaulting of the choir remains.

The Church of St. Sepulchre in 1919.

Church of St. Sepulchre, the Chancel.

The interior of the Church of St. Sepulchre.
(Seen from the Chancel, near the Porch).

At the end of the right aisle is an Entombment (1549-1582), a gift of the De Baillon family. The Tomb, which was protected during the war, comprises The Burial Scene and an Ecce Homo at the top of the arch over the former. The latter group was finished long before the other one, and is more natural and of finer finish than that of the Tomb. The figures kneeling at the praying-desks on the front of the Tomb represent Pierre de Baillon and his wife, Marguerite de la Morlière. At the other end of the right aisle stood the baptismal font (1539), mutilated and covered with whitewash in 1870. The church of La Boissière possesses an identical font dating from the same period, but much better preserved. The font probably lies buried under the débris. In the font chapel there is a stone bas-relief (protected during the war), said to have come from the old church. It was consecrated to the Virgin, who is seen receiving the benediction of the Eternal Father. The carvings and inscriptions around the Virgin, symbolically recalling the principal episodes in her life, are taken from the Song of Solomon. Unfortunately, this bas-relief was daubed over in 1870, and some of the carvings, particularly Les trois enfants qui pissent, were mutilated because of their realism.

Montdidier.—The lower town, seen through a shell-hole
in the Church of St. Sepulchre.

Go down Rue Parmentier, then turn left into Boulevard Béjot, in the direction of Compiègne.

From Montdidier to Cuvilly,
via Assainvillers, Piennes, Rollot, Boulogne-la-Grasse, Conchy-les-Pots
and Orvillers-Sorel.

Follow Boulevard Béjot, then take Boulevard de Compiègne, on the right, and a little further on, N. 35, also on the right, to Assainvillers, entirely razed. Take the second road on the left and cross the light railway, 0 km. 700 beyond which are several lines of trenches. Take the left-hand street, which leads straight to the church and village of Piennes. (See sketch-map below.)

Assainvillers in Ruins.