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Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Clair is a Catholic religious building built in the second half of the 13th century, located 1 km northeast of the village of Banneville-sur-Ajon, today a commune delegated by Malherbe-sur-Ajon (Calvados, Normandy). Ranked as Historic Monuments on December 26, 1930 for its ruins, it has since been restored. Its Gothic architecture is distinguished by a flat bedside pierced with a broken arched bay and a sculpted tympanum depicting a mitré character, probably Saint Samson, one of the seven founding saints of the Church of Brittany.

The chapel initially depended on the Cistercian Abbey of Notre-Dame d'Aunay-sur-Odon (now Les Monts d'Aunay). It is dedicated to Saint Clair, a martyr Benedictine priest who lived in the region in the ninth century. The site, surrounded by a natural space, illustrates the link between religious heritage and Norman rural landscape. Sources also mention a specific address in the Mérimée base: 750 Route du Champ des Prots, in the commune of Malherbe-sur-Ajon.

Architecturally, the chapel is presented in a simple rectangular form, typical of the Cistercian buildings of the time. The portal adorned with a bas-relief and the large bedside bay underline its primitive Gothic character. Although partially in ruins before its restoration, the building bears witness to the influence of monastic orders in the region, as well as medieval construction techniques. No information is available on its current use (visits, cults, etc.) in the sources consulted.

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