Rocquigny Église Saint-Christophe
Église Saint-Christophe Rocquigny
Where to find this church
Church Information
Église Saint-Christophe is located in Rocquigny, a commune with 672 inhabitants in the Département Ardennes in the region Grand Est.
The church is locked
Visiting Église Saint-Christophe
The church of Saint-Christophe in Rocquigny is unique among the fortified churches in the Thiérache Ardennois: it is the only one in the region to be built entirely of brick, which is probably due to its geographical proximity to the Aisne.
It is located in the centre of the village and faces north-east. It has a Latin cross floor plan. The short nave consists of three single-bay aisles.
Saint-Christophe consists of two completely different parts, which is immediately recognisable to the untrained eye: the old part with the keep was fortified in the second half of the 16th or 17th century. It is pierced by embrasures, as are the two defence towers flanking the portal. The south tower is used as a baptistery, while the north tower houses the staircase to the organ loft. The remains of a brattice can still be recognised on the keep.
The choir, transept and the last part of the nave were only rebuilt between 1878 and 1880 (the date is inscribed above a capital on the south wall of the nave) by the architect Jean-Baptiste Couty from Sedan. The escape room, which was once located above the choir, disappeared as part of this remodelling.
Unfortunately, like most churches in the region, this one is locked with no sign of a key, so we can’t tell you anything about the interior.