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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame-des-Prés, often called the "Old Church of Mondeville", is a Catholic religious building located in the commune of Mondeville, Calvados department, Normandy. Built between the 12th and 13th centuries, it is distinguished by its medieval architecture and its location away from the city centre, west of the communal territory. Its geographical isolation, outside the modern agglomeration, gives it a preserved character, typical of the Norman rural churches of that time.

Classified as historical monuments by decree of 22 July 1913, the church houses remarkable furniture, including a 14th century gissant kept under fire. This lier, classified as an object, illustrates the funeral and memorial importance of the place in the Middle Ages. Historical sources, such as the works of Arcisse de Caumont in his monumental Statistique du Calvados (1846), underline his heritage interest, although details about his construction or his sponsors remain rare in the documents available.

The property of the building belongs to the commune of Mondeville, and its state of conservation has received special attention, as evidenced by its early protection in the early twentieth century. Its exact address, 84 Rue des Roches, and its Insee code (14437) link it administratively to the district of Caen. Despite its seniority, little precise information is available on its liturgical or community use before the twentieth century, apart from its supposed role as a place of worship and burial for local inhabitants.

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