Vers-Sur-Selles lies in the heart of the Selle Valley. The village brings together a long history of the church and the story of a former industrial business, as well as art exhibitions at the town hall and walks and hikes organised by the Les Souliers de Vers association. A stay here is therefore not focused on just one theme. You can decide whether architectural history, art or activity in the valley should shape your trip. The church and the scythe works tell the story of the village, while exhibitions and association outings are tied to specific dates.
The church: setting and traces of time
The Church of Saint-Remi and Saint-Hildevert stands on a hill overlooking the village. Its portal dates from 1238. Three years earlier, in 1235, the church had been destroyed by a hurricane; it was rebuilt three years later. The portal and the rebuilding are therefore both dated to the same year, while the destruction marks an earlier turning point. Ten bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the Passion add to the building’s history: they date from the 16th century. A bas-relief is an image that projects from a flat surface while remaining connected to its background; the Passion scenes depict the suffering of Christ. The portal and reliefs thus belong to different periods. Anyone interested in church architecture can distinguish here between a medieval date and a much later sequence of images.
Art at the town hall
Exhibitions organised by the Artothèque d’Amiens Métropole are regularly held in the council chamber of the Vers-Sur-Selles town hall. The Artothèque regularly lends works for these exhibitions, which can be visited during opening hours. Unlike the fixed historical dates associated with the church, this is a recurring cultural offering with individual dates: exhibition dates and opening hours may vary. If you would like to include the art in your travel plans, check the specific visiting times. This makes it possible to combine a visit to the town hall with an interest in the village’s historic architecture and artworks, without treating the two as the same experience.
The former Monnoyer scythe works
The former Monnoyer scythe works represent a different chapter in the village’s history. In the 19th century, a mill was converted into a metallurgical works. The works have closed and are privately owned. The number of people employed there also provides a historical measure: 60 workers were employed there in 1899, and more than 100 people in 1962. The two figures show different scales at two widely separated points in time. Together with the conversion from a mill to a metallurgical works, they make the industrial development more tangible, without equating the former works with today’s cultural offerings or the exhibitions at the town hall.
Walks and getting around
For activity in the valley, Les Souliers de Vers offers walks and hikes as part of its association programme. Outing dates vary, so it is worth checking the relevant dates if you are planning a hike. This is a different way to shape your stay from exploring the dated architectural history or attending an exhibition on a specific date: here, the specific opportunity depends on the outing being offered.
For bus travel, the Ametis network map lists two connections: Line 9 runs between Allonville/La Haute Borne and Laënnec/Vers-sur-Selle; Ametis Tempo Line 36 connects Vers-sur-Selle with Cité-Providence. The termini distinguish the two lines and can help when checking your planned routes. Service details may change, so check the current timetable before arranging your arrival or daily itinerary around them.
Discover more destinations: Boves, Feuquières-En-Vimeu, Villers-Bretonneux, Mailly-Maillet, Saint-Quentin-En-Tourmont, Valines, Fort-Mahon-Plage, Bernay-en-Ponthieu.
For the broader travel overview: Somme.
