Stamp - Spring Show - Calais

Church of Notre-Dame de Calais Built between the 13th and 16th centuries, Notre-Dame embodies the memory of the Calais area. It has seen history through: the marriage of the Duke of Clarence to Isabelle Neville, visits from Henry VIII, François I, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV, Louis XVIII, Napoleon III... So many sovereigns that it earned the title of "royal church". In 1837, Victor Hugo passed through its porch. He derided the steeple as "a half-retracted spyglass", but marveled at the monumental alabaster altarpiece by Adam Lottman and the painting by Gerard Seghers. In his story, John Ruskin celebrates the tower as a symbol of endurance. Lady Hamilton, who died in Calais, was buried here. Wars hit it hard. It withstood 1914-18 and, on April 8, 1937, hosted the ceremony for the elevation of Canon Joseph Évrard to the episcopal see of Meaux. But in 1944, bombs tore down its bell tower, leaving the building open to the sky. Nevertheless, the church retains a cherished memory: the wedding of Yvonne Vendroux and Captain Charles de Gaulle in 1921. From 1945 to 1966, General de Gaulle regularly visited the reconstruction site. After the war, Mgr Évrard celebrated mass on the ruins, before a long and difficult restoration process began. Thanks to the AMVPAC, created in 1989, and the City of Calais, the church has benefited from a number of restorations: the bells were reinstalled in 2000, as were the altarpiece, several paintings (Seghers, Villeneuve...), sculptures, goldsmith's and silversmith's work, chandeliers, lighting, and an organ project in progress... Today, Notre-Dame church is part of the "Via Francigena", a European cultural itinerary. Nearby, the Tudor garden designed by Caroline Holmes and the rose garden perpetuate the memory: the "Notre-Dame de Calais" rose and the "Via Francigena" rose remind us that this monument, twice saved, remains a beacon of history and beauty. Nearby, Vauban's royal cistern, initiated by Louis XIV, awaits restoration, a final nod to this unique heritage.

Conception et mise en page : André Lavergne, illustration d'après photo © Leyla Vidal / Belpress / Andia Cachet d'oblitération: création et mise en page : André Lavergne