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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Beauficel-en-Lyons, located in the department of Eure in Normandy, is a religious building whose origins date back to at least the fourteenth century, with major architectural elements added in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It is located in the heart of a parish enclosure, surrounded by its cemetery, and presents a cruciform plan typical of medieval churches. Its carved wood pentagonal porch, dated 1570, is classified as a historical monument for its artistic and historical value. The bell tower, built in the 16th century, is a square tower made of stone and flint, surmounted by an octagonal arrow with bell towers, illustrating the construction techniques of the era.

The history of the church is marked by patronage conflicts. As early as 1343, Jean de France, Duke of Normandy and future king, claimed the right of patronage against the Archbishop of Rouen. In 1382 the Paris Parliament decided in favour of an alternation between the king and the archbishop. Inside, a 14th century Virgin with Child, listed as a historical monument, bears witness to the artistic richness of the site. This statue, gilded in 1732, was allegedly beheaded during the Revolution before its restoration in 1949. The building enjoys successive protections: the porch is classified in 1925, and the church is registered in 1940.

Church architecture combines Gothic and Renaissance elements. Its bedside ends with a three-sided apse, while the sacristy is to the south. The stone and flint of the bell tower, characteristic of Norman churches, contrasts with the slender frame of the arrow. The whole reflects the stylistic evolutions and religious challenges of the region, from the Middle Ages to the modern era. The protections for historical monuments underline its heritage importance, both for its architecture and for its furniture, as the Virgin with the Child, symbol of local devotion.

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