_On leaving the Hôtel-de-Ville, follow on the left, the Rue de la Congrégation, then take the first street on the right_ (Rue du Coq-Lombard) _and go round the block of buildings on the right, bounded by the Rue du Coq-Lombard, Rue de Bauton and Rue des Francs-Boisiers which leads back to the Rue de la Congrégation._ This is one of the best preserved corners of old Soissons. In spite of later structural alterations, several houses built between the 14th and 17th centuries bear traces of their original construction. One of them (n^o 5 in the court) has a curious doorway with a carved 14th century tympanum. A carved panel over the doorway represents the King of Spain bidding farewell to the King of France. This doorway leads to a tower of the same period (restored), the upper part of which was struck by a shell. At n^o 11, in the Rue de Bauton is the _Palais-de-Justice_, partly destroyed by shell-fire. _On leaving the Rue des Francs-Boisiers_ (_see_ ruins of burnt houses), _follow the Rue de la Congrégation on the right, then the Rue du Commerce (its continuation) as far as the Place Saint-Pierre_: _on the left_ are the ruins of the old Church of Saint-Pierre-au-Parvis. [Illustration: CHURCH OF SAINT-PIERRE-AU-PARVIS. _South façade before the War_] =The old Church of Saint-Pierre-au-Parvis= (_Hist. Mon._) The apse, transept and three bays of the nave of the church, secularized at the time of the Revolution, were pulled down in 1800. The two remaining bays of the nave were greatly damaged during the war by the explosion of a store of grenades. The roof and most of the vaulting have been destroyed. [Illustration: CHURCH OF SAINT-PIERRE-AU-PARVIS, _November 1918_.] Only the main front and the lower part of the south front (fine specimens of the Romanesque style of the middle of the 12th century) escaped with slight injury (_photo p. _42). _At the corner of the Place Saint-Pierre and the Rue de la Vieille-Gagnerie_ there are two semi-circular windows of great beauty, visible from the interior of the house no. 19–21. Supported by four small columns with storied capitals representing monsters and fantastic animals, these two windows (now blocked up and serving as a wall for the first-floor room of a restaurant) are all that remains of a large church which belonged to the old Abbey of Notre-Dame. This convent, founded in the 7th century, was rebuilt in 18th century. The new buildings, completely disfigured by interior alterations and having no further historical interest, were used as barracks during the war. They were destroyed by the bombardments and fire. _Take the Rue de la Gagnerie, turn to the right into the Rue de la Bannière, then again to the right into the Rue Notre-Dame_, at the end of which is the =Maison de l’Arquebuse= (_hist. mon._), built in 1626 for the Guild of the Soissons Gunsmiths, and now devoted to military purposes (_photo below_). [Illustration: THE MAISON DE L’ARQUEBUSE.]