Construction of church XVIIe siècle (≈ 1750)
Period of main construction of the monument.
1802
Removal of Cléray
Removal of Cléray 1802 (≈ 1802)
Connection to Belfonds after dissolution.
31 octobre 1990
Registration MH
Registration MH 31 octobre 1990 (≈ 1990)
Protection of the church, enclosure and fountain.
13 août 2018
Extension protection
Extension protection 13 août 2018 (≈ 2018)
Archaeological vestiges around the fountain.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Eglise de Clairay (old), known as Chapelle Saint-Latuin, parish enclosures, cemetery crosses and fountain Saint-Lin (cad. A 14, 15, 10): inscription by order of 31 October 1990; The base of the soils of the parcels of the fountain Saint-Lin and the buried archaeological remains, as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree, located on the parcels n°143 at the place known as Cléray, and n°145 at the place known as La Couture, appearing in the cadastre section A: inscription by order of 13 August 2018.
Key figures
Latuin de Sées - First Bishop of Sées
Refuge in Cléray, presumed fall.
Origin and history
The former church of Clairay, also known as the Saint-Latuin Chapel, is a Catholic building located in Belfonds, Orne department, Normandy. Built in the 17th century, it occupies the presumed location of the tomb of Latuin de Sées, the first bishop of the diocese of Sées. According to tradition, the latter took refuge there to escape the persecution of the wife of the governor of Sées, jealous of his miracles. The chapel, now a place of pilgrimage, preserves traces of its past, such as graffiti on the wall of the choir (sacred hands, crosses, knots) and a nearby fountain, the Saint-Lin fountain, renowned for its therapeutic virtues against skin diseases.
The commune of Cléray, on which the church originally depended, was abolished in 1802 and attached to Belfonds. The building consists of a western bell tower forming porch, a nave, a flat bedside choir and a seigneurial chapel. A Romanesque-style capital, perhaps recovered from an earlier building or similar in the 17th century, supports the arches of the choir. Together, including the parish enclosures, the cemetery cross and the fountain, has been listed as historical monuments since 1990, with an extension of protection in 2018 for the surrounding archaeological remains.
The church is closely linked to the legend of Latuin, which would have built a cell and an oratory near the miraculous fountain. This source, still visible today, feeds the Sennevier and attracts pilgrims for centuries. The graffiti of the choir, whose dating and meaning remain uncertain, testify to an ancient association, perhaps linked to devotional or protective practices. The site, owned by the commune of Belfonds, remains an architectural and spiritual testimony of rural Normandy.
The monument also illustrates the evolution of the territories: the disappearance of Cléray in 1802 reflects the post-revolutionary administrative recompositions. Enrolment in the Historical Monuments in 1990 helped to preserve this whole, where religious history, vernacular heritage and popular beliefs combine. The Saint-Lin fountain, always associated with healing stories, perpetuates the memory of Latuin and the sacred character of the place.
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