La Fere: History, Art and Architecture

La Fere brings together several cultural and historical themes: its development into a fortified town, the Drouot Quarter with its artillery school, the surviving wing of the Château de La Fère, and the collections of the Musée Jeanne d’Aboville. Other highlights include Parc de la Mairie, an arboretum and a cycling route that ends in La Fère. This gives you a range of interests to consider when planning your trip: architecture, art, archaeology, nature and cycling.

History and Buildings

The Romans established a military outpost during the conquest of Gaul; La Fère later became a fortified town. The Drouot Quarter recalls a later military chapter. Its old quarter was built between 1720 and 1732; the new quarter was built in 1767 to house the first French artillery school, founded by Louis XV in 1719. The chronology matters: 1719 marks the school’s founding, while 1767 marks the later construction of the new quarter to house it.

The façades and roofs of the old and new quarters of the Drouot Quarter were listed as historic monuments by decree on 19 January 1994. The Church of Saint-Montain was classified as a historic monument by decree on 7 January 1921. The Château de La Fère was built for Marie de Luxembourg and has been part of the Crown’s estate since 1596. Its surviving wing is an example of Renaissance architecture in brick and natural stone in Picardy.

Art and Archaeology at the Museum

The Musée Jeanne d’Aboville displays an art collection assembled in the 19th century, with works from Flemish, Dutch, French and Italian schools. The museum also has a local archaeology department covering the period from prehistory to the Merovingian era, as well as a significant Gallo-Roman collection with some rare pieces. The museum thus brings together an art collection assembled in the 19th century and archaeological themes spanning a long period. The two collection highlights offer different chronological and thematic perspectives.

Park and Arboretum

Parc de la Mairie can be accessed through the entrance of the Musée Jeanne d’Aboville on Rue du Général de Gaulle. The La Fère arboretum features a wide variety of trees, including service tree, alder, catalpa, swamp oak, giant sequoia and Japanese pagoda tree. If you want to identify particular tree species, these examples can help you find your way around. The plantings may change over time.

Cycling Route and Getting There

For a cycling trip, consider the 43-kilometre route “L’écrivain qui a jeté l’ancre.” It runs between Chiry-Ourscamp and La Fère and can be ridden in either direction. The route follows EuroVelo 3 and runs alongside the Canal de Saint-Quentin and the Canal latéral à l’Oise. Check the route details before setting off, as changes to infrastructure or signposting may affect the information.

La Fère railway station is an SNCF access point, located two kilometres from the Ribemont–Tergnier stage of La Scandibérique. This provides a specific reference point for planning around the stage; the 43 kilometres of the cycling route “L’écrivain qui a jeté l’ancre,” by contrast, refers to the stretch between Chiry-Ourscamp and La Fère.

Discover more destinations: Pargny-Filain, Monampteuil, Bouconville-Vauclair, Chamouille, Oigny-En-Valois, Bourg-Et-Comin, Artonges, Fère-En-Tardenois

For the wider travel overview: Aisne.