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This is where the Somme River rises. Its name is traced back to Celtic origins and also gives its name to the department of the same name. At the time when Gaul was part of the Roman Empire, the river was called the Samara. It ends its approximately 245-kilometer-long river life in the Baie de Somme, where it flows into the English Channel.

Completely constructed in white and black stone, the Basilica of Saint-Quentin is the second Gothic building in Picardy. Built between the end of the 12th and the end of the 15th centuries, it is best known as the burial place of the martyr Quentin, who gave it its name. Listed as a historical monument, the building boasts original architecture, with a porch tower over 34 meters high, a double transept, and a concentric choir. Inside, visitors are captivated by the ancient 260-meter-long labyrinth carved into the nave's paving. Stained glass windows installed at various times complement the artistic offerings of the Basilica of Saint-Quentin, particularly medieval stained glass windows in the 12th-century apse chapels. These depict episodes from the lives of the Virgin Mary and Saint Stephen.

Saint-Quentin Church, rebuilt after the 1914-1918 war.

"God loves every soul with an undying love. He approaches each one with repeated, unspeakably patient offers of redemption. Even a small sign of love is enough for him to forgive and redeem. Our dear departed ones lacked a life preserver for the body; but the spiritual life preserver was not lacking, the breath of God in which the soul can clothe itself in a tiny moment, much more quickly than the body could." (Text by Albino Luciani / Pope John Paul I)

Joncourt British Cemetery is a serene military cemetery located in Joncourt, France, and contains the graves of British soldiers who died during the First World War. Designed by William Cowlishaw, the cemetery is situated on the road from Joncourt to Levergies, approximately half a mile south of the village centre1. With a rectangular plan and surrounded by a stone wall, the cemetery provides a peaceful place for reflection. The Cross of Sacrifice, a hallmark of British military cemeteries, stands in the western corner1. The graves of 61 soldiers, three of whom are unidentified, belong to the 10th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders1. The cemetery is lovingly maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, who ensure that the memory of these soldiers is kept alive.

Important for pilgrims: here you will also find a food shop on Sundays.

Stage 73 of Sigeric on his Via Francigena pilgrimage. Here is the end of the stage VFF14 Via Vrancigena France). In Seraucourt-le-Grand we cross the Somme. It owes its ancient name, "Serodi Curtis", to the Gallo-Romans who founded two of these famous villae, farms, around the 2nd century, who gave it the suffix "-COURT", as with many other villages. Traces of a Merovingian cemetery are also said to have been found.

As a memorial to the many dead, such a "MONUMENT AUX MORTS" (usually called a "Central Memorial" or "War Memorial" in German-speaking countries) is still very important today. "Now, Lord, you let your servant depart in peace, as you have said..." it says in the so-called "Hymn of Simeon" (Luke's Gospel, Chapter 2, Verse 29). However, the people who are remembered here did not depart in peace, but became victims of war and tyranny. Therefore, the term "fallen memorial" is now sometimes used instead of the "war memorial" that was previously common in German. In the French-speaking world, however, this aspect of commemoration of the dead has long been included in the most commonly used term "MONUMENT AUX MORTS". Regardless of language and nation, such a memorial has two important and at the same time everlasting tasks: -1- to keep the memory of the suffering and horror of war alive, -2- and to remind people of the need to maintain peace in the long term.