Main navigation
In section : Discover and visit
In one click
Book online
You are in : Homepage > Discover and visit > History
History
Over the centuries….
The Bellovacii gave their name to Beauvais. After being the Gallo-Roman town of Caesaromagus, Beauvais became a major bishopric. The wool industry flourished thanks to the many watermills. The cathedral was never completely rebuilt after the steeple collapsed in the 16th century. What remains today is the 11th-century nave, the 13th-century Gothic chancel and the 16th-century transept. The Bishop’s Palace now houses the “county” museum (Musée départemental). In 1472, the town was besieged by the Burgundians and Jeanne Hachette became the heroine of Beauvais. In 1664, the royal tapestry works were opened (Manufacture royale de Tapisserie). The mediaeval town walls were demolished to leave room for a ring of boulevards. Glass and ceramics became increasingly popular thanks to the Le Prince family in the 16th century for example (stained glass) and the Gréber family (ceramics). At the end of the 19th century, the houses were decorated with ceramics.
Despite the fire of June 1940, Beauvais still has some beautiful timbered houses, its 18th-century Town Hall, the cathedral and bishop’s palace, St. Stephen’s Church (église Saint- Etienne) and, in the south of the town, the St. Lazarus Leper-House (Maladrerie Saint-Lazare).
