The Collegiate Church of Aire, a flamboyant work... The parish church of the town of Aire-sur-la-Lys since 1802, the Collegiate Church was originally the church of the Chapter of Saint-Pierre d'Aire. For the record, this Chapter of canons was founded in 1059 by the Count of Flanders Baudouin V. During the Renaissance, the Collegiate Church was considered to be one of the most important flamboyant-style monuments in the Southern Netherlands. It took 60 years before it was listed as a historic monument in 1862. Later, the church suffered several setbacks... Successive bombardments during the Great Wars completely damaged the building. The Collegiate Church was therefore rebuilt several times. The people of Airo have always insisted that the church should retain its original design, which gives it real architectural unity. On the outside, visitors will notice a difference in the colour of the stones, reflecting the progress of the work over the years. Inside, the ground floor is still in archaic Gothic style. The upper floors of the nave and choir, on the other hand, were rebuilt in the classical style in the 1730s. The same applies to all the high vaults, where the Gothic structure of the ribbed crossing has been retained. Only the decoration expresses the period and has the baroque character of buildings in the north of France. TWO MASTERPIECES not to be missed! A 17th-century organ case from Clairmarais Abbey, and at the north transept crossing, the statue of Notre-Dame Panetière, protector of the town.
Information at the Tourist Information Office in Aire-sur-la-Lys.