Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former church of Saint-Jacques-du-Mont-aux-Malades is a Roman Catholic church in ruins in Mont-Saint-Aignan, in the Seine-Maritime department in Normandy. Built around 1130-1135, it is part of a priory founded in the 12th century, which became the largest leprosy in the Rounnese region. This site, dedicated to the reception of the sick, operated until 1792, marking centuries of local medical and religious history.

Only four spans of the nave remain today, bearing witness to the original Romanesque architecture. The capitals, decorated with hooks and stylized animals, illustrate the artistic know-how of the period. The building was listed as historic monuments on 29 March 1971 and restored between 1971 and 1972 to preserve these remains. The ruins, located on Rue Louis-Pasteur, recall the historic significance of this place in the Norman heritage.

The priory of Saint Thomas-le-Martyre, associated with the church, played a central role in the management of leprosy. This religious and medical complex reflected medieval charitable practices, where the Church cared for both souls and bodies. The closure in 1792, probably linked to revolutionary upheavals, marked the end of this institution, whose architectural remains remain the only tangible witnesses.

External links