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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hermitage Saint-Gerbold is a former 15th-century religious building located in Gratot in the Manche department. Built between 1403 and 1418 by Philip d'Argouges, lord of Gratot, it was initially a chapel dedicated to Saint Gerbold, bishop of Bayeux in the 7th century. This saint, originally from the region, was chosen because of the family ties of the Argouges with Bayeux.

In the 17th century, between 1619 and 1623, the chapel was transformed into a hermitage by the same family. A hermit lived there until the 18th century, benefiting from a piece of land to cultivate his vegetable garden and access to the nearby castle. Gilles Dancel (Brother Gilles de Saint-Joseph), a poet and hermit who died in 1660, dedicated a work to Louis d'Argouges, Marquis de Gratot.

Confiscated during the Revolution, the hermitage was returned to the Argouges in the 19th century before being definitively abandoned in 1830, after the death of his last occupant. Left behind, he gradually degraded, with the collapse of his vault around 1947. Ranked a historic monument in 1995, it was restored by the Conseil départemental de la Manche and opened to the public in 2006.

During the restoration work, a 15th century statue of St Gerbold was discovered buried in the nave. Probably hidden during the Revolution to escape iconoclasts, it was temporarily exposed to Hambye Abbey. This statue, used during the services, illustrates the local worship given to this holy healer, invoked against digestive disorders.

The legend of Saint Gerbold, linked to miracles such as his miraculous crossing of the Channel on a millstone or the healing of a dysentery epidemic in Bayeux, explains its importance in the region. Although no text proved his presence in Gratot, Philippe d'Argouges dedicated a chapel to him in homage to his Bayeusan origins and her life.

Today, the Hermitage is part of the departmental network of sites and museums of the Channel. The site, open for free visit, offers explanatory panels on the history of the place, the life of hermits and the legend of St Gerbold. Guided tours, especially during Heritage Days, make it possible to discover the polychrome decorations of the chapel and the living rooms of the hermit.

Future

The building is open only for guided tours and at certain times of the year, including Heritage Days.

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