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Origin and history

The collegiate Saint-Michel de Blainville-Crevon was founded on 5 January 1489 by Jean d'Estouteville, seigneur of Blainville and adviser to Charles VII. Dedicated to the Trinity and to St. Michael, its sétablissement from 1489 to 1491 under the direction of Archbishop Robert de Croixmare. It housed a college of seven canons to pray for Jean d'Estouteville, his wife Françoise de La Rochefoucauld and the kings he served. Its homogenous architecture reflects the flamboyant Gothic style, with sandstone and flint checkered walls, and a polygonal lead arrow.

In 1783 Archbishop Dominique de La Rochefoucauld transferred parish service to the collegiate church, the church of Saint-Germain was in poor condition. The building, classified as a historical monument in 1927, preserves remarkable elements such as wooden stalls, 15th-century stained glass windows, and statues of stone saints, including that of Saint Adrien, perhaps inspired by the traits of John d'Estouteville. His artistic heritage also includes a copy of La Cène de Poussin.

The college illustrates the religious patronage of Norman lords at the end of the Middle Ages. Jean d'Estouteville, an influential figure under Charles VII, Louis XI and Charles VIII, combines his prestige by founding an institution designed to perpetuate his memory. The building, now communal property, remains a testimony of sacred architecture and seigneurial power in Normandy during the Renaissance.

The materials used — stone for sculptures, sandstone and flint for walls — and the brevity of the works (1489–1491) give the collegiate a rare stylistic unit. Its lead arrow, characteristic of the flamboyant Gothic, dominates the Blainville-Crevon landscape. The 15th century stained glass windows and statues, as well as the stalls, underline its role both spiritual and artistic in the region.

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