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Origin and history

The chapel of the Marins of Saint Vaast-la-Hougue is what remains of the vaulted choir of the 12th century and of the circular Romanesque apse of the early parish church, built in the 11th century. The building, surrounded by a marine cemetery, was partially demolished in 1864, but its choir was preserved despite the installation of a battery of cannons. Today, it is dedicated to Peris at sea and has been listed as a historic monument since 1952.

Around 1730, a square tower with an arrow was added south of the choir. In 1752 a project of enlargement, rejected by the king, was revived in 1805 by the parish priest, M. Levéel, who joined a lateral nave, a northern chapel and a sacristy. The marine cemetery, reconstructed with tombstones from the parish of Rideauville, now holds only a few illegible graves around the chapel.

From the Romanesque period, the apse of the 11th-XIIth centuries and carved models remain. In the 19th century, the remains were closed by a wall decorated with the weapons of Bishop Jean-Pierre Bravard and a Latin inscription. Inside, there is a statue of Saint Vaast in 16th century polychrome stone. According to Léopold Delisle, the original church consisted of a nave with low sides, a central bell tower and a 13th century western gate.

The chapel, located between the large pier of the port and access to the peninsula of the Hougue, is today communal property. Its inscription to historical monuments in 1952 protects this architectural and memorial testimony related to local maritime history.

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