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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame du Cap Lihou, located in the upper town of Granville (Manche), is a Catholic building with Gothic and classical influences. Its history began in the middle of the 14th century with the construction of a first granite chapel on Cape Lihou, according to legend after the discovery of a statue of the Virgin in fishing nets in 1113. The English, having taken possession of the site, erected from 1440 the enclosure of the High City and a church dedicated to Notre-Dame, of which remain the tower of the bell tower and the spans near the choir, in granite sent from Chausey.

The major reconstruction took place in the 17th century: the choir was built between 1628 and 1641, followed by the nave (1643–55) and its vaults in dogives (1649). The chapels Saint-Clément (1674) and Notre-Dame du Cap-Lihou (1676) complete the building. In the 18th century, the western facade (1767) and sacristy (1771) were added. The church, a baptismal site of Christian Dior in 1908, was classified as a historic monument in 1930 under the leadership of Lucien Dior, then mayor of Granville.

The architecture combines flamboyant Gothic styles (choir and quadrangular bell tower surmounted by an octagonal arrow reborn in 1700) and classical (nef and transept). The furniture includes protected works: an Assumption of the Virgin (1712) inspired by Rubens, a statue of the 15th century Virgin of Caen stone, and a historic organ (1660–1662) with 2,500 pipes, classified in 1981 and 1989. The stained glass and tombstones of the Granvililla family testify to its maritime and aristocratic anchor.

The founding legend links the church to the sailors, while its role in local life is illustrated by events such as the baptism of Christian Dior. The 1930 classification underlines its heritage value, both for its architecture and for its furniture, reflecting five centuries of religious and social history in Normandy.

Today, the church remains a symbol of Granville, dominating the port and the sea from the High City. Its protection covers the entire building, as well as furniture such as the 17th century baptismal fonts or Miraculous Fishing (1787), classified in 1908. The sacristy and facade, late additions, complete a harmonious composition between medieval heritage and beautifications of the Enlightenment.

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