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Origin and history

The Grandmont Chapel, also known as the Sainte-Catherine Church, is a Catholic religious building located in Rouen, Normandy. Founded between 1157 and 1180 by the order of Grandmont, it belonged to the priory of Notre-Dame-du-Parc, a monastic establishment linked to this limousine order. In 1317, Pope John XXII reorganized the order and raised Rouen's order to the rank of priory, welcoming fourteen religious. The history of the site is marked by repeated destruction: fire in 1370 by the Navarre soldiers, partial destruction in 1562 by the Huguenots, and damage during the siege of Rouen by Henri IV in 1592.

In the seventeenth century, religious life was revived around 1620, with a complete restoration of the priory in 1652. The order of Grandmont was however abolished in 1772 by Pope Clement XIV, and the site became a dragon barracks. In 1780, the church was transformed into a powder shop, with the walling of most of its openings. The vestiges of the priory were dispersed in 1900, leaving only the church, classified as a historical monument in 1936. After serving as a powder magazine, she returned to her religious vocation in 1970, revealing during restorations of the 12th century pavements in her apse.

Architecturally, the chapel is distinguished by its unique vessel, 36 metres long, arched in a broken cradle and equipped with a semicircular apse covered with warheads. Its history reflects the political and religious upheavals of Normandy, from its medieval foundation to its modern preservation. The site, now owned by the commune of Rouen, bears witness to the great heritage and urban transformations of the city throughout the centuries.

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