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Origin and history

The Saint-Pierre church of Saint-Pierre-d'Autils found its origins in a Romanesque chapel mentioned in 1025, when Richard II of Normandy granted part of Longueville to the Abbey of Jumièges. This gift included the priory of Bourgueil and an adjoining chapel, on which the present church was built at the end of the 12th century. The Romanesque remains remain in the nave, the choir and the cornice with modillons at the base of the bell tower, while the tower, of polygonal plan and with four bell towers, was erected in the 2nd quarter of the 13th century. The chorus, rectangular and flat, is vaulted with dowry crosses resting on leafy caps, and the nave, with massive buttresses, preserves narrow lancettes and an old double bay gate.

In the 15th century, changes were made, such as the opening of twin doors in the north wall (condemned in 1850) and the addition of flamboyant reamped bays in the nave. A south side chapel was added in the 17th century, while in 1791 a door was pierced at the base of the tower. The 19th century marked a phase of major transformation: in 1850, a portal replaced a gallery to the west, and in 1867, works financed by the Duke of Albufera restored the cover and the nave, with a cradle vault rebuilt in plaster. Repairs to the roof were carried out in 1904, followed by a complete restoration in 1984 and the installation of glass windows by Tisserand in 1991.

The bell tower, classified as a Historical Monument in 1909, is distinguished by its spiral staircase combining stone (46 steps) and wood (52 steps), leading to the bells. The tower, adorned with geminied bays with columns and broken stick decorations, dominates a flat bedside pierced with an oculus. Marks of speckrons (letters V, cross) remain at the base of the staircase, testimonies of medieval artisans. Close to the abside, the former parish cemetery delivered bones and coins, recalling the central role of the church in community life since the Middle Ages.

The building thus illustrates an architectural stratification typical of Normandy, blending Romanesque heritage, Gothic innovations (heads, foothills, lancettes) and subsequent adaptations. Successive restorations, especially those of the 19th and 20th centuries, preserved this heritage, while integrating modern elements such as contemporary stained glass windows. The communal property, open to visit, today perpetuates its cult and memorial function.

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