Le Calvaire des Marins : hommage, cérémonie et prière pour les Boulonnais disparus en mer

At the edge of this verdant plateau, the plateau of the Chemin Vert, overlooking the sea, stands the Sailors' Calvary of Boulogne-sur-Mer. For 2,000 years, the history of Boulogne has unfolded here, from the Tour d'Odre of the Roman emperors to Napoleon I's Boulogne camp. For 200 years, a Calvary, a monumental cross, and numerous votive offerings from sailors have served as reminders of the sea's deadly nature. The names of the 4,000 sailors from the Boulogne region who perished at sea can be found there: a father, a brother, a son, a friend... The people of Boulogne are well acquainted with the Sailors' Calvary, but relatively few visit it. This is why Pierre-André Barbe, president of this important maritime heritage site, is dedicating himself wholeheartedly to its preservation and to making it a popular destination once again. Those lost at sea are certainly worth it. The Calvary of the Boulogne Sailors is at once a wayside cross, a cloister, and a chapel. Visitors who enter are rarely unmoved by the names of sailors from Boulogne, Le Portel, Equihen, or Étaples who have perished at sea since the 17th century. This is the case of Jean Demay, who died at the age of four, a few years after the French Revolution, in the shipwreck of his father's vessel. This weekend, Boulogne remembered its lost sailors. On October 14, 1881, almost 142 years ago, six ships ran aground off our coast due to a severe storm. One hundred and two sailors were reported missing. Their bodies were never recovered. Even today, it remains the greatest disaster Boulogne has ever experienced. Thanks to its dedicated volunteers, significant renovations were undertaken at the Calvary, which was completely rebuilt in 1996 after the previous one collapsed in 1995. Every year, on Saint Peter's Day, a ceremony pays tribute to the sailors from the Boulonnais region who have perished. Consider subscribing to the YouTube channel if you would like to receive new videos as soon as they are uploaded. Find all the videos in the playlists: History of Boulogne and the Boulonnais region    • Histoire de Boulogne et du Pays Boulonnais   Towns and villages of the Boulonnais region    • Villes et villages du Pays Boulonnais   Dialects of the Boulonnais region and surrounding areas    • Patois du Pays Boulonnais et des environs   Songs of Boulogne and the Boulonnais region    • Les chansons de Boulogne et du Boulonnais   WW2: World War II in the Boulogne area    • WW2 la seconde guerre mondiale   Boulogne dialect programs    • Les revues patoisantes de Boulogne   The letter W in the Boulogne area    • Le W dans le Pays Boulonnais   All the animals in the Boulogne area    • Tous les animaux dans le Boulonnais