ROUTE DES EGLISES FORTIFIEES DE THIERACHE - ROUVROY SUR AUDRY

History and wars forced the inhabitants of Thiérache to fortify their buildings. On this gentle and hilly land, the churches are castles, the farms are bastions and the noble residences are citadels. The richness of the heritage here is exceptional. History has given the population no choice but to fortify churches and houses to protect themselves from the troops who scoured the region during the Hundred Years' War in the 17th century. Today, the fortified churches with corner towers, dungeons, loopholes and watchtowers are witnesses to this tormented history. The ironworks of the battles have fallen silent and given way to an atmosphere of secular calm and peace.