Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapels of Barre-Y-Va, located in Rives-en-Seine in Normandy, constitute a religious complex marked by three centuries of history, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. The site includes the Grande Chapelle, dedicated to Notre-Dame, built in limestone and brick in the 16th century and subsequently redesigned. It is distinguished by its unique ship and stained glass windows from the early seventeenth century. Close by, the old house of the chaplain, made of brick and limestone, dates from the early seventeenth century, while the Oratory (or Blue Chapel), erected in the eighteenth century, completes the whole. This place was a high place of popular devotion, especially for sailors, due to its strategic geographical position.

The site also includes a calvary, probably from the 18th century, leading to the Blue Chapel. The ensemble, classified as Historical Monument since 1996, protects the two chapels, the calvary, the facades of the house of the chaplain, as well as the surrounding plots. The chapels, both communal and private, bear witness to the importance of maritime pilgrimages in Normandy, where local faith and traditions were closely linked to port and river activities.

Architectural elements, such as the combined use of brick and limestone, reflect Norman construction techniques of the 17th and 18th centuries. The stained glass windows of the Grande Chapelle, dating from the early seventeenth century, add an artistic and historical dimension to the site. Finally, the accuracy of its location (noted 8/10) underlines its anchoring in the Seine-Maritime landscape, between Villequier and Rives-en-Seine, two communes linked by this common heritage.

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