Nos événements

The village of Hon-Hergies, in the heart of the Avesnois, has two churches, due to the union in 1790, of two villages, Hon and Hergies. Originally, these two churches were founded by two neighbouring abbeys – the church of St. Vaast at Hergie by the abbey of Hautmont, and that of St. Martin by the Abbey of Lobbes (in Belgium nearby).

The church of St. Martin is near to the site of a very old castle which sheltered, in the 9th century the frustrated love affair of the king of Lotharginie, great grandson of Charlemagne. The sovereign fought all his life to repudiate the wife who had been forced on him, and to marry Waldrade. This history of faithful love caused a long political and religious conflict between the king, the emperor and the pope, and even convened two synods. The two lovers met at Hon where Waldrade lived in retirement. They had four children, of whom two were buried in the church. One of the children, Hugues, became Abbot of St. Peter, Abbey of Lobbes, to which the village of Hon was attached by his father at the request of his mother.

The stone church , too small and in disrepair, was rebuilt in the 18th century (between 1764 and 1769) in the baroque style . All of the old church was recuperated, the stone masonry of the foundations in sandstone, up to the base of the windows. Larger, in brick and stone the new church can be recognised by its bulb-shaped steeple in the bavasien style . The inside of the luminous church with its side aisles, is roofed with high arched vaults from the 16th century. At the back of the church several statues from the previous church can be admired, and also the very beautiful organ case. The sanctuary, also very light, is immense for a village church, like all the monastic foundations of the time.

At the beginning of the 20th century a new bell replaced those which had been melted down during the Revolution, and which came from the old wooden belfry – and new windows were installed.

Today the church is still the centre of an important pilgrimage dedicated to the cult of Our Lady of Hon.