Description
In 1608, English Benedictine Catholic monks, driven out of England following the Reformation, settled in Douai on the site of the present-day Lycée Corot. Active in the Counter-Reformation movement, apart from a period during the French Revolution, the English remained in Douai until the beginning of the 20th century. From the rue St Benoît, it is easy to admire the rigour of the classical brick and stone buildings with triangular pediments. The English Benedictine chapel, built by the architect Pugin, famed as the architect of the Palace of Westminster in London, can also be seen in the extension of these buildings! A magnificent example of English neo-Gothic architecture!
