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Origin and history

The church of the Assumption-de-Notre-Dame de Bonneville-la-Louvet, located in Calvados in Normandy, is a Catholic building built in the early 13th century, according to the observations of Arcisse de Caumont. It is distinguished by its location on the left bank of the Calonne River, which flows at the back of the building. The church, still in cultural activity, has been profoundly remodelled over the centuries, especially in the sixteenth century, where major works concerned the tower (high 30 meters), the foothills, and the addition of a seigneurial chapel.

In the middle of the 16th century, the transept was erected, dating precisely from 1527, while the flamboyant Gothic bell tower dates from the 15th century. The choir, described as "retired on the nave" by Arcisse de Caumont, presents an opening dated from the 15th to the 16th centuries. The interior, marked by a wooden vault decorated with shields and sculptures on the sandstones, also preserves a bell of 1703 and a high altar of 1804. These elements bear witness to the architectural and liturgical developments of the building.

The church underwent modifications in the 19th and 20th centuries, without their details being specified in the sources. It has been listed as historic monuments since July 27, 1965, recognizing its heritage value. Historically, the appointment of its servant was the responsibility of the priory of Sainte-Barbe-en-Auge, who was dependent on the diocese of Lisieux, emphasizing its anchoring in the local medieval religious network.

On the architectural level, the west facade is dominated by a square tower with two foothills, an arcade porch, and murderers. The south wall of the nave preserves five 13th century foothills, as well as the remains of a carved ogival gate, reported by Arcisse de Caumont. The seigneurial chapel, decorated with flamboyant windows, houses an inscription on an apron, while the triumphal arch, redesigned in the 15th century, marks the transition between the nave and the choir.

The sources, notably the works of Arcisse de Caumont (Statistique monumentale du Calvados, 1862), underline the modesty of the interior furniture, with the exception of the bell of 1703. The building, owned by the commune, thus embodies almost eight centuries of religious and architectural history, mixing medieval heritage and later adaptations.

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