Caudebec-en-Caux Church, Caudebec-en-Caux, France

Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, King Henry IV of France is said to have declared the church of Caudebec-en-Caux to have been the most beautiful chapel in his kingdom. The fact that it does not have a transept may explain why the king referred to it as a chapel not a church. Typical of the Flamboyant Gothic style, the highlight of this church is the finely decorated west portal. In all there are 333 sculptured human figures, representing saints and aspects of daily life. Of particular interest is the figure playing an old Norman musical instrument – the Loure, a kind of bag-pipe that is no longer played in Normandy. Sadly, much of this decoration was destroyed by the Calvinists during the Religious wars and then again later during World War Two, but it has since been restored.

Around the edge of the roof, and engraved in Gothic calligraphy is one of the verses of the Magnificat, also known as the Song of Mary and one of the oldest of the Christian hymns. Stained-glass windows date to the 15th and 16th centuries.

References:

Archaeology Travel

User Reviews

bruce susel (14 months ago)
Beautiful and historic

Bruce Susel (14 months ago)
Beautiful church and historic site

Orkinitsu (2 years ago)
Magnificent church located in the heart of the village on the banks of the Seine, a must-see!

catherine denicola (2 years ago)
Superb Gothic style building (the foundations being much older) with stained glass windows from the 15th and 16th centuries (some others dating from the 19th or even the 20th). Very beautiful organ.

victor davis (2 years ago)
Did a quick through a lot of sculpture at other things inside to see

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Christian Lauw

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.

The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.

The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.

Caudebec-en-Caux Church

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche