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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Villedieu-les-Poêles is a Gothic-style Catholic building built in the 13th century and entirely rebuilt in the 15th century. Located in the Manche department in Normandy, it has been listed as a historical monument since 1979. Its history is marked by successive destructions, especially during the Hundred Years' War, then reconstructions in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.

The building of the church, dedicated to Notre-Dame, began in the 13th century under the patronage of the hospital brothers of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem. After being "all laid to the ground by the time of the wars," it was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, as evidenced by a 1495 record. The building was looted by Protestants in 1562 and 1590, then a fire in 1632 that saved only the choir. The nave and bell tower, flamboyant Gothic style, date from the seventeenth century, while the facade is rebuilt in the eighteenth century.

In the 19th century, major work was undertaken, particularly on collateral. The church, built in granite, adopts a cruciform plan with polygonal bedside collaterals. Its furniture includes classified statues, some of which come from ancient nearby churches, such as those of Saint-Pierre-du-Tronchet and Saultchevreuil-du-Tronchet. Among the remarkable elements are an organ buffet of 1830, classified as a historical monument, and the choir stalls dated from the 17th century.

The church also houses a classical French organ with three keyboards, restored and completed in the 20th and 21st centuries by the factors Jean-Loup Boisseau and Bertrand Cattiaux. The square tower, dating from the late 15th century, features ogival bays and an openwork balustrade, typical of the flamboyant Gothic. Its coronation, posterior, and its columns softening the corners make it a remarkable architectural element.

Ranked by decree of 27 December 1979, the Church of Notre-Dame is a major testimony of the religious and historical heritage of Normandy. Its furniture, including statues from the 15th to the 19th centuries, and its organ, enriched with additional games in the 21st century, illustrate its artistic and cultural evolution throughout the centuries.

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