THE MAG Beauvaisis No. 1 In complete confidence TELLS YOU ITS SECRETS... Beauvais<Oise<Hauts-de-France WONDER DISCOVER AWAKEN YOUR TASTEBUDS Facing the Cathedral Our remarkable sites MOVE The best restaurants in Calendars at the ready the Beauvais region D ITS The Tourist AN STO RE Offi ce ! We are here to advise you and help you on your way, and can offer you excursions and guided visits. Come and visit us as 1, rue Beauregard 60000 BEAUVAIS, Laurie, Stéphane and Laurie will be here to welcome you October to April: Mondays 14:00-18:00 and Tuesdays to Saturdays 09:30-12:30 and 13:30-18:00. April to October: Mondays 14:00-18:00, Tuesdays to Saturdays 09:30-12:30 and 13:30-18:00 and Sundays and public holidays 10:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:30. They are welcoming and are at your service; they know the region inside-out and will be able to give you expert advice and tips, and Please feel free to get in touch just generally help you have an amazing stay... +33 (0)3 44 15 30 30 We offer many services in our reception area: or Free WiFI [email protected] Smartphone/tablet charging station We will be delighted to A small boutique selling local produce, books about the region, show you the heritage and activities themed guides, souvenirs, artisanal products and more. of Beauvais and its region. Digital tools to guide you and show you around the region. Or find us at www.visitbeauvais.fr Design: www.roseetpiment.com - Printing: www.artesienne.com - Imprim’Vert® and PEFC® Photo credits: Communication Department, City of Beauvais and CAB – Jacqueline Jacquand – OTAB/Bruno Beucher – ABC Cathédrale – Horloge Astronomique Oise Tourisme/Comdesimages – Marie chapeaux – Musée de la nacre /Eric Van Ees Beeck – Francis Dubus / Ecomusée des Pays de l’Oise – Benoit Hourde/Photomag2 – Benjamin Teissedre/OTAB – Anne-Sophie Flament/OTAB – Aurélien Garcia/OTAB – Angélique Savary – Restaurant Autrement – Pixabay – La Table de Céline – GAEC de la Chapelle-St-Jean – La Petite France – MUDO-Musée de L’Oise/Auguste Delaherche Plat en forme de fleur de Nénuphar 1894-1895- RMN-Grand Palais(MUDU Musée de l’Oise) Adrien Didier Jean – Cœur de Picardie – Les 5 sens Chambres d’hôtes – Les Vins par faim – Les Glycines de Saint-Sulpice – Le Jardin du Brûle – Caroline Ledoux - Aqua Calypso / Oise Tourisme - Fotolia©: valya82, grki - iStock©: karelnoppe - CRT Hauts-de-France 2 In complete confidence THE MAG Editorial TREASURES OF ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE Summary he region of Beauvais boasts a truly remarkable architectural and natural heritage, which is covered Tin this edition and is represented by such jewels as the St. Lazarus Infi rmary, an example virtually unique 4 THE DARING MIDDLE AGES in France of hospital architecture from the 12th and 13th Centuries that won me over as soon as I encountered it. 6 CAPTURE THE PASSAGE OF TIME The site was actually abandoned and parts of it were in danger of collapsing, but I was moved by the sight of these 8 INSPIRED IDEAS stones that in times gone by housed so much suff ering and, paradoxically, so much humanity; I felt the physical weight 10 BEAUVAIS: A CITY IN THE COUNTRYSIDE of its history and was quick to realise its incredible potential. In 2002, the Communauté d’Agglomération du Beauvaisis 12 RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES began the restoration of this 3-hectare estate: we restored the barn - preserving its oak beams dated 15 THE ANCESTRAL ART OF CERAMICS by dendrochronlogy to the winter of 1219-1220 - and converted it to an exclusive venue for concerts, shows, 16 DISCOVER AND SAMPLE... trade fairs and seminars; we created a large mediaeval-themed garden bursting with 18 WELL-PRESERVED HERITAGE scents and fl avours of yesteryear; we made the location an oasis of relaxation and cultural 20 WOMEN WITH HEART events restored to their former glory, timeless vehicles of the identity and authenticity of our region, which I will 22 AWAKEN YOUR SENSES never get tired of discovering. 24 AMAZING CHARACTERS 26 ON THE MOVE IN BEAUVAIS! 29 THE AIRPORT IS A WINDOW OUT ONTO THE WORLD Caroline Cayeux Chairwoman of the Tourist Offi ce 30 MUST-SEE LOCATIONS IN OISE Chairwoman of Communauté d’Agglomération du Beauvaisis Mayor of Beauvais Former senator In complete confidence THE MAG 3 4 In complete confidence THE MAG THE DARING MIDDLE AGES hen theThe unusual meetstallest the apotheosis Gothic of French thinking, choir in the world! during what would later become known as the Gothic Wperiod, your thoughts inevitably turn to St. Peter’s Ca- thedral in Beauvais. This monument to stone and glass rises majestically in the heart of the episcopal district and will stir the emotions of anyone encountering it for the first time. So let’s meet this grand old lady... The prodigious dimensions of St. Peter’s Cathedral bear witness to the power of the Count Bishop of Beauvais. Following a fire that struck the primitive cathedral of Our Lady of Basse-Œuvre, the bishop decided in 1225 to rebuild his church and make it the most massive cathedral in the kingdom. Construction began with the choir section, which was completed in 47 years, although part of its vaulted ceiling collapsed twelve years after construction was finished. One break for restoration and the Hundred Years War later, work resumed in 1500, with the construction of the transept, featuring a gorgeous Flamboyant Gothic façade and a rose 11 metres in diameter - one of the largest in all mediaeval architecture. The next section to be built was a lantern tower at the intersection with the transept, half as high as the Eiffel Tower itself and taller than any other cathedral. The spire, completed in 1569, collapsed four years later and took part of the transept and the choir with it, leaving the cathedral unfinished. Such an unusual story for the Cathedral of Beauvais, which today asks more questions than it answers. The interruption to WE'RE MAKING THE HEADLINES ON THE SOCIAL NETWORKS! its construction left it without a nave, which means it can still stand side-by-side with its ancestor, “La Basse-œuvre”, which is thought to date from around the year 1000. Both cathedrals stand proud as if spanning the distance between two time periods. The sheer ambition of the builders of St. Peter's Cathedral earned it credit ©szabo_reni_ Photo the name of the “tallest Gothic choir in the world”! #beauvaiscathedral #architecture_lovers #gothic If you look up, you will be astonished to discover the vaulted ceiling 48 m high: enough to make your head spin! If the sun is out when you visit, you can admire the wash of colours from the stained glass as they flow over the stones. VISIT AS A FAMILY + AUDIOGUIDE = GREAT DAY OUT Visit the cathedral as a family and unlock all the secrets of this magnificent building with our audio guides! These devices, which can be hired from the kiosk and TOP SECRET the Tourist Office, are very easy to use and contain One of our informers has told us that audio tours of both the inside and the outside of the there will be tours of the “hidden side of cathedral. Your whole family can listen to the story the cathedral”, including the cloister (cf. page 5), organised as part of the of St. Peter's, Beauvais and understand the twists Tourist Off ice’s tour schedule from April and turns in its history that have made it the unique to September 2019. structure it is today. For more information, you can pick up Audio guides are available in 5 languages. the complete programme for individual Pricing: €4 Adults - €1.50 Children guided tours from the Tourist Off ice or Audio guides are available from the Tourist Office and in the cathedral go to www.visitbeauvais.fr In complete confidence THE MAG 5 THE CLOISTER OF BEAUVAIS CATHEDRAL INTIMATE AND TIMELESS his architectural gem, which has now been partially restored, was built during the Hundred Years War period (mid-14th to Tmid-15th Century). Only three of its walls are encircled by buildings, the fourth being sealed by a closing wall. The southern gallery, named the "Bishop's Gallery” and running the length of the Basse-Oeuvre, stretched all the way to the episcopal palace, currently the MUDO Museum of Oise, allowed the bishop to go directly from his residence to The cloister is the cathedral. To the east, a gal- occasionally opened for lery leads to a vaulted room under cultural events (guided th the chapter house, built in the 16 tours in 2019 from the Century, where the canons used to Tourist Office, heritage WORTH WORTH meet up. The western wing, known as KNOWING! days, etc.) “St. Peter’s Room”, is thought to date from the 11th Century. A FEDERATION OF CATHEDRALS Its garden is the perfect place for meditating. BORN IN PICARDY! Picardy is the only region in the world where all its 13th Century AMIENS cathedrals can be found within a radius of 100 kilometres. How SAINT-QUENTIN many of them do you reckon you could find in this region, so often nicknamed “the birthplace of Gothic Art”? LAON Let’s count: if you start in Beauvais and then head to Senlis, NOYON Noyon, Amiens, Saint-Quentin and Soissons, not to mention Laon, you already have seven good reasons to be amazed and have BEAUVAIS a spectacular cultural holiday. SOISSONS The tallest Gothic choir in the world in Beauvais, the largest cathedral in France in Amiens, one of the oldest cathedrals in the SENLIS north of France in Noyon...that alone should whet your appetite! ASTRONOMICAL CLOCKS CAPTURE THE PASSAGE OF TIME Yet another original aspect of St.