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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of the Old Saint-Sauveur, located in Place Saint-Sauveur in Caen, finds its origins at the end of the Carolingian era. Its oldest parts, such as the tower, date from the late 11th or early 12th century. First named Saint-Sauveur-du-Marché in 1130, it underwent major changes in the 14th and 15th centuries, before a flamboyant Gothic choir was built between 1530 and 1546. His cemetery, moved in 1698 to enlarge the square, gave way to adjacent buildings.

The French Revolution marks a turning point for the building. Closed in 1791 after the reorganization of the Kenyan parishes, it lost its religious status to Notre-Dame-de-Froide-Rue, renamed Saint-Sauveur. In the 19th century, transformed into a grain hall and then into a butter hall, she saw her 16th-century arrow shot down in 1837 for obstinateness. In 1886, she even welcomed the skeleton of a whale stranded at Langrune-sur-Mer.

The twentieth century was marked by the destruction of the Battle of Caen in 1944, seriously damaging the church. Since the 1980s, successive restorations (arcs-boutants, choir, transept) reveal 16th century frescoes on the vault. Ranked a historical monument in 1951, it preserves traces of its Romanesque roof in shale lauzes and a classic 18th century portal. Today, it hosts exhibitions such as Bangalore Women in 2024.

Architecturally, the church illustrates a superposition of styles: Romanesque for the tower, Gothic for the choir, and classical for the facade. Its area of 754 m2 and its turbulent history make it a key witness to the Kenyan heritage, linked to the parish, commercial and cultural life of the city for nearly a millennium.

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