Early on, the abbeys felt the need to set up facilities in Laon intra-muros (which represented a veritable natural fortress) that would serve both as a residence for their guests and as a place of protection.
Hence the creation of refuges, including the Petit Saint-Vincent, one of the finest examples still visible. It was built in the first third of the 16th century, and features a typical early Renaissance staircase in the middle, which can still be admired today from the inner courtyard.
The first floor of the building is usually open every first Saturday of the month (as well as every Thursday) to craftspeople from Laon’s Maison des Métiers d’Art…