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Origin and history

Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Abbey of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, founded around 1080 by Néel III of Saint-Sauveur, is a Catholic building located in the commune of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, in the department of Manche, Normandy. It was built from 1067 by the monks of Jumièges Abbey, at the request of Viscount Neel II, to replace a college of secular clergy. The abbey, Romanesque style with a flamboyant Gothic choir, was destroyed three times: during the Hundred Years War (1365-1375), after the Revolution (1793-1832), and during the 1944 bombings. Each time it was rebuilt, thanks in particular to the action of Mother Marie-Madeleine Postel in the 19th century.

During the Hundred Years' War, the abbey was looted and partially razed by English troops led by Jean Chandos. The monks had to go into exile, and the restoration work began only after the Battle of Formigny (1450) and the expulsion of the English. The chorus was rebuilt in the 15th century. At the time of the Revolution, the abbey was sold as a national property in 1791 and served as a stone quarry. In 1832 Mother Marie-Madeleine Postel bought the ruins to establish the Congregation of the Poor Daughters of Mercy. Despite the collapse of the bell tower in 1843, it undertook a complete reconstruction, financed in part by donations, including that of Queen Marie-Amélie.

The abbey was again bombed and burned in June 1944 during the Liberation. Its restoration was carried out by the Historic Monuments Services under the direction of Yves-Marie Coldevaux. Today, the abbey preserves Romanesque elements, such as the south wall of the church with its arches in the middle, as well as Gothic and modern additions. It also houses the relics of Saint Marie-Madeleine Postel and her companions, and remains a place of pilgrimage and visit open to the public.

The abbey enjoyed great regional influence, possessing several priories and seigneurial rights, such as tithes on fisheries or the patronage of local churches. She benefited from important donations, including from noble families such as the Saint-Sauveur, the Tesson or the Harcourt. Its history reflects the political and religious upheavals of Normandy, from its foundation in the post-Val-ès-Dunes context to its resurrection after the revolutionary and warlike destructions.

Ranked a historic monument in 1840 for its church, the abbey saw its other buildings protected in 1945. It houses remarkable furniture, including a 16th-century high altar and modern stained glass windows signed by Adeline Bony-Hébert-Stevens. The arms of the abbots, exposed in a room, testify to its rich monastic past. Today, the site combines architectural heritage, religious memory and cultural role in the region.

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