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Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Aubin d'Auquainville, located in Calvados in Normandy, is a former parish church of Saint-Aubin-sur-Auquainville, attached to Auquainville in 1831. The building, dating back to the 15th and 18th centuries, features a flat bedside typical of the lower Middle Ages, while its windows, redone in the 18th century, alternate pink stones and bricks. After 1831, it became a funeral chapel for the Custine family, of which Astolphe de Custine, famous author, was buried there. A pilgrimage dedicated to Saint Quentin, patroness invoked against cough, was carried on until 1970.

The church, registered as a historical monument in 2007, underwent important restorations in the 21st century for its roofing and moisture problems, notably thanks to subsidies such as La Sauvement de l'art français (€10 000 in 2009). It is 21 metres long and has a unique nave, a bell tower on its façade, and retains its original furniture, including a side altar dedicated to Saint Quentin. The adjacent cemetery, reserved for donors, surrounds this place today often closed.

The building reflects Norman rural architecture, with local materials such as the bricks of Saint-Germain-de-Livet. Its closed windows and its limestone sacristy bear witness to successive evolutions, while its past role as a place of pilgrimage and aristocratic burial illustrates its historical and social importance in the region.

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