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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Gloriette, originally named Sainte-Catherine-des-Arts, was built in Caen by the Jesuits between 1684 and 1689, on marshy grounds near Petit Odon. Its construction, led by Father André and financed by letters patent of Henry IV (1608), is part of the urbanization of the island of the Little Near. The first stone was laid in 1684 by the poet Jean Regnault de Segrais, then alderman, and the church was consecrated in 1689. Its architecture, inspired by the Gesù of Rome, reflects the Jesuit influence, with an open facade contrasting with sober side walls, treated as a "theatre decor".

In 1762, after the Jesuits were banished, the church was ceded to the University of Caen and then desecrated during the Revolution. It was used in turn as a place of constitutional worship (1791), as a hall for the decaden celebrations (1793), and almost became a slaughterhouse or museum. In 1801-1809, it was restored to Catholic worship in 1802 under the name of Notre-Dame, replacing the Cold-Rue Church. Ranked a historic monument in 1909, it has since 1810 housed the relics of Jean Eudes, transferred to its crypt in 1884.

The interior, marked by renovations in the 19th and 20th centuries, preserves exceptional furniture: a high altar in white marble (18th century) from the abbey of the Ladies, surmounted by a golden baldaquin (1707) inspired by Saint-Germain-des-Prés, as well as reliquaries and classified secondary altars. The nave, framed by low side and a discreet transept, hosts a restored neoclassical organ (Barker, Cavaillé-Coll). Since 1987, the church has been loaned to the Maîtrise de Caen for concerts, perpetuating its link with music and the arts.

The facade, slightly bent due to unstable ground, dominates a parvis classified in 1939, bounded by historical chains. The interior decorations, such as the Glorification of Saint-Jean-Eudes (1901) or the golden panellings of the choir, bear witness to successive beautifications. Despite aborted projects (museum, entertainment hall), the church remains a symbol of the resilience of the Kenyan heritage, mixing religious, architectural and cultural history.

The classified furniture elements — the carved wooden pulpit (XVIIIth century), wrought iron grilles, or statues of angels — come for some from the abbey of the Ladies or from the old Notre-Dame-de-Froide-Rue. These transfers, linked to revolutionary upheavals, have enriched its heritage. Today, the church combines parish and cultural functions, with about twenty annual concerts, while requiring restorations (especially for baldaquin and woodwork).

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