The remains of the Mont Saint-Éloi abbey are located in the eponymous town, in Pas-de-Calais, a few kilometers north-west of Arras. The abbey was founded (then in the form of a humble monastery) in the 7th century by the future Saint Vindicien, buried in the nearby Bois d'Ecoives, who was bishop of Cambrai and Arras. Disciple of Saint Eloi to whom the abbey site was dedicated, the relics of Saint Vindicien were then kept in an abbey church which was enlarged in the 11th century, when the convent buildings were also enlarged. The abbey came under the order of Saint-Augustin, and was quickly renowned for the intellectual and literary wealth of its religious. However, all the medieval buildings were demolished in 1750 to make way for a church and convent buildings of classical architecture. This work was motivated in particular by the aging and shallow foundations of the previous abbey.
During the Revolution, the site is deserted by the monks and the abbey is gradually dismantled and becomes a stone quarry (which will be used in part to build the current houses of the village).
At the beginning of the 20th century, the towers and facade elements still visible today remain, but serving as a military observation point during the First War, these remains were shelled and lost one floor.
Protected as historical monuments, the ruins of the abbey, which give the site a romantic and strange allure (like a movie set), are freely accessible every day.
They can mark out a hike including the rest of the village, the woods, and the panoramas which, from the mountain, overlook Arras. Information on +33 3 21 51 26 95.
