Amiens

Title

Amiens

Also Known As

Sainct Jehan les Amyens, Sainct Jehan lez Amyens, Sti. Joannis Ambianensis

Dates

Founded ca. 1115; Premonstratensian from 1124; dissolved in 1790.

Dedication

John the Baptist

Affiliation

Dommartin

Medieval Diocese

Amiens

Circary

Ponthieu

History

The abbey of Saint-Jean d'Amiens was founded in 1115 as an Augustinian priory by Mathilde de Flichecourt and Ingelram, bishop of Amiens. In 1124, the monastery was transferred to the Premonstratensian Order as part of the filiation of Dommartin. In 1135, it became an abbey, and was a community of Premonstratensian brothers and sisters until the late 1140s when the sisters moved elsewhere. The abbey suffered severe damage in 1358.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, Saint-Jean d'Amiens suffered severe financial difficulties as a result of warfare. The abbey was rebuilt in 1524, but burned in 1547 and 1597. It was suppressed at the Revolution in 1790.

Some of the monastic complex survives today.

Heads of Community

Abbots

Eustache, 1124-1130
Foulques de Montdidier, 1130-1157
Eustache II, 1157-1185/6
Thomas, 1185/6-1192
Eudes de Crécy, 1192-1205
Raoul, 1205-1215
Nicolas, 1215-1231
Herbert, 1231-1252
Jean, 1252-1256
Alard, 1256-1266
Wicard (or Richard), 1266-1268
Jacques, 1268-1274
Pierre de Varcheville, 1274-1287
Jean d'Ausenne, 1287-1289
Matthieu, 1289-1296
Jean II de Vreton, 1296-1310
Jean III de Marchel, 1310-1348/49
Jean IV de Rieu, 1348/49-1377
Firmin I de Mongnier, 1377
Guillaume Kierret de Montonvillers, 1377-1411
Pierre II Boulet, 1411-1414
Vacant, 1414-1416
Firmin II Morel, 1416-1418
Jean V de Torsy, 1418-1419
Pierre III de Bainvilliers, 1419-1432
Matthieu II Cotterel, 1432-1455
Jean VI le Vasseur, 1455-1474
Jacques le Foullon, 1474-1488
Guillaume de Montesson, 1488-1499
Thomas de l'Ecluse, 1499-1513
Nicolas Lagrené, 1513-1540
Gilles Binet, 1540-1552

Status

Abbey

Archival Sources

Amiens, Archives départementales de la Somme

18th c. Cartulary. H(001) 0001*.

1638 Cartulary. H(001) 0002*.

Amiens, Bibliothèque municipale

MS 49 (Peter Lombard, In Psalmos. 13th c.)

MS 113. (Breviary, 15th c.)

MS 190. (Ordinary. 13th c.)

MS 463. (Martyrology, 17th c.)

MS 594. (Miscellany, 17th c.)

MS 781. (Cartulary, 13th c.)
*BVMM: Microfilm

MS 991. (Fragmentary cartulary, 17th c.)

The Hague, Koninklijke Bibliotheek

78 D 40. (Missal, 1323)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale

MS lat. 5234. (Bede, Geoffrey of Monmouth; 12th c.)

MS lat. 10110. (M. Du Pré, Annales ecclesiae S. Joh. Bapt. 1643.)

Bibliography

Brouette, Émile. “L’obituaire de Saint-Jean d’Amiens.” Bulletin de la Société des Antiquaires de Picardie 53 (1970): 312–49.
Du Pré, Maurice. Annales de l’abbaye de Saint-Jean d’Amiens. Translated by Auguste Janvier and Charles Bréard. Amiens: Courtin-Hecquet, 1899.
Janvier, A. “Journal historique écrit dans l’Abbaye de Saint-Jean.” La Picardie: revue historique, archéologique & littéraire, Second Series, vol. 1 (1878): 41–54, 81–90. https://books.google.com/books?id=97BCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA41.
Sartre, Josiane. “L’architecture de l’abbaye de Saint-Jean d’Amiens.” Bulletin de la Société des Antiquaires de Picardie 54 (1973): 396–405.
Séguin, François. “De l’abbaye Saint-Jean d’Amiens au Musée de Picardie, itinéraire de quelques témoins du cabinet de curiosités des chanoines prémontrés.” Revue du Nord 450, no. 1 (May 2025): 163–76. https://doi.org/10.3917/rdn.450.0163.

Image Credit

Forecourt, ca. 2011. Wikimedia.

Last Updated

Oct. 2026.

Files

Collection

Ponthieu

Citation

“Amiens,” A Premonstratensian Atlas, accessed October 16, 2026, https://yvonneseale.org/atlas/items/show/22.

Geolocation

Item Relations

This Item DependentOn Item: Dommartin
Item: Ressons DependentOn This Item
Item: Talley DependentOn This Item
Item: Bertricourt DependentOn This Item
Item: Valvion DependentOn This Item