Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Julien, located in the hamlet of Flainville in Le Bourg-Dun (Seine-Maritime), has its origins in the early 14th century. Its construction is dated 1323 or 1323-1324, probably on the site of a 13th century fort house, now extinct. This medieval manor house, of which only one corner turret remains, was transformed into a seigneurial chapel by enlargement to the north, forming a unique vessel. The building, built in flint and sandstone, retains an irregular plan adapted to the terrain. Its painted decoration, made between the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century, illustrates religious scenes such as the life of the Virgin, an Adoration of the Magi or an Annunciation, accompanied by angel musicians.

The chapel was initially linked to the abbey of Fécamp, which provided religious service, while the local lord was appointed. From the 17th century it served as a parish church, before the parish merged with Le Bourg-Dun in 1822. Work in the 19th century, including the addition of foothills to control moisture, preserved the building. In 1913, medieval frescoes were rediscovered during restorations, revealing an exceptional artistic heritage. The chapel, classified as a Historical Monument in 2008, also received a grant of 140,000 francs in 1999 for its preservation.

The site also includes remains of the former manor house, whose soil was inscribed in 2008, as well as funeral liters and furniture that has now disappeared. The wall paintings, first registered in 1961, were integrated into the overall protection of the building in 2008. The chapel thus bears witness to the evolution of a medieval manorial complex, marked by additions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, while preserving rare architectural and decorative elements of the late Middle Ages.

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