Ardres, ville fleurie et ville nautique...
Ardres aujourd'hui - Historique - Évènements historiques - Monuments Promenade - Ville Fleurie et Ville Nautique
				The Vault of the Carmelite friars The Carmes fathers bought two houses into 1659: one with the sign of the angel and the other with the sign of Jean saint. In 1679 rose with the top of the pinion the bell-tower of the church of the Carmelite friars. The Carmelite friars of Ardres are an establishment of average importance, designed to accomodate 16 monk. He is located in the centre town and borders Grand' Place. In 1792, the priest, Bénédictines and the 5 Carmelite friars must leave Ardres to seek a surer shelter. The Vault of the Carmelite friars becomes public market, conference room for the popular companies, temple to be it supreme, where one honours the goddess with the Reason. Furniture is sold like national good in 1794, to some extent acquired by the commune of Balinghem, and the dispersed library. The convent accomodates the patients of the old people's home then is used as school. It is as from 1825 that the Carmelite friars become truly center of life of Ardres, and of that of its canton. There is, giving on the place, the services municipal, the court, the weight public. The feastdays proceed all kinds of official ceremonies, the market days, the tradesmen settle between the columns of the market.
The field of the Carmelite friars is abandoned in 1962 when the municipality moves into a house of Master whom it bought street of Lombards. The post office was transferred in the convent in 1986. The Vault which was used from now on as handing-over suffered from the wear of time. The operation of rehabilitation of the Vault of the Carmelite friars is launched in 1990, that Ci then will count two shutters: interior adjustment of spaces for tourism and the culture on the one hand, the architectural restoration of the building of the other. The market with rez of roadway, becomes a hall of greeting and of information, (Offices of Tourism) the village hall on the floor is renovated, the roofs are arranged in conference room, the additional building shelters the technical buildings. The market and the village hall keep their provisions and their decorations of the beginning of XIXème century. The frontage, following survey carried out jointly by the architects and the historians, finds his general pace of XVIIème century. Belle Roze Née in 1954 in the workshop of Maurice Deschodt, restored in 1991 in that of Stéphane Deleurence, Belle Roze is a giantess whose languorous features and the blue and yellow dress were inspired by Martine Carol in famous film " If Versailles were told to me ". The festivals of Beautiful Roze proceed (the next one in year 2000) at the beginning of July. Local heroin, Belle Roze saved Ardres of the Spanish occupation in XVIIème century by revealing a plot which the marquis de Rouville managed to thwart.
		The church Our Lady of Grace Built into 1073 by Arnoult the 1st known as solicitor, the church Our Lady of Grace was built on the place of the market opposite the gate of the interior cutting off. In XIIème century, the tower of the parish church collapsed and Arnoult IV, known as " of Colvède " made it rebuild. The confusion of the city by the Flemings in 1477, and sets fire to it lit by the English into 1492 did not save the building religieux.Il was urgent to restore it and rebuild the tower. The large Bastard one had the honor to pose the first stone; it is what indicates to us an inscription which is still read on the south-eastern pillar with two meters with the top of the sol.On sees there deeply engraved in a stone, a framing in bearing relief, accompanied by flames, the hood of embrasure, bored towards its center of a small square hole to see the enemy without putting itself at overdraft; and in a cartouche with the lower part, this inscription in Gothic letters: " In year 1503 eleventh day of May, Antoine of Burgundy put the first stone of this tower. (Request for him) ". During the revolution, the Vault of Our Lady of Grace was profaned: a workshop with salpetre was established there in 1793, of many tombs were opened and one exhumed the bones to extract from it too the célébre ingredient. December 5, 1800, part of the vault and wall separating the vault from the nave fell down with fracas.Prétextant economic measurements, one proposed to demolish the nave and the two Vaults top, while offering in return the repair of the chorus and transept.Lorsque the worship was restored, in 1802, it remained upright only one mutilated church, which during several years, had been used as store with fodder.
In 1871, the Vault of the Virgin, restored hastily at the beginning of the century was transformed by the care of a ardrésienne family. Walls, vault, paved, all was renewed in the sanctuaire.La restoration of the church in 1888 was to still accentuate the character marial.La rebuilding of the nave whose Gothic is harmonized with that of the chorus and of the tower was supplemented by gifts of stained glasses. The church Our Lady of Grace was indicated a long time under the name of church " Saint Omer d' Ardres ". Monumental clock coming from the church Our Lady. This clock was installed about 1860 and functioned until 1980. This clock engraved (LDO) for Louis D' Odobey is of time Napoleon III (1852-1870) It is assembled on a frame in oak of 1m57 of length, 81 cm broad and 74 cm top. The frame consists of two parts out of cast cast iron and two iron cross-pieces. The wheel of the movement includes/understands: The barrel and its wheel of 96 teeth; The first wheel of 96 teeth and its pinion of 12 wings; The second wheel of 90 teeth and its pinions of 12 wings; The wheel of exhaust of 30 ankles and its pinion of 12 wings; The exhaust is known as with ankles. The output of the movement is done by the first wheel, the transmission of the movement is done by friction towards the wheel of hour of 90 teeth and the wheel of timer of 36 teeth; the transmission towards the external dial is done by helicoid idler wheels. The suspension with blade supports a beam of 1m12 which weighs 12 kilos. The load of the weight necessary to the correct operation is 30 kilos. The wheel of the ringing includes/understands: The barrel and its wheel of 98 teeth; The second wheel of 98 teeth and its pinion with 14 wings; The third wheel of 100 teeth and its pinion with 8 wings; The ventilator external and its pinion with 10 wings. The ringing is with hours, repetition and half. This style of clock required a weekly reassembly and a regular maintenance.