Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Saint-Aubin de Saon Church, located in the Calvados department in Normandy, is a Catholic building dating back to the Romanesque period. It preserves traces of this time, such as fish-edge seats and walls of primitive windows, as well as 12th century lancet bays. The foundation of the church was linked to a donation in 1148 by Roger III Bacon, lord of Molay, to the Templars of Baugy in Planquery. This monument thus illustrates a historical stratification, mixing medieval heritage and subsequent transformations.

The seigneurial chapel, dating from the early 17th century, houses the gissants of Robert Davaynes († 1616), lord of Gruchy and gentleman of the king, and his wife Jeanne Daché de Serquigny. This chapel is decorated with very altered murals depicting religious scenes such as Pentecost or the Last Judgment. These artistic elements, as well as the square tower added around 1850, bear witness to the architectural and decorative evolutions of the building over the centuries.

The church was partially protected as historical monuments, with the classification of the seigneurial chapel and its murals by order of 14 June 1994. This classification highlights the heritage importance of this place, both for its architecture and for its furniture, including 17th century wooden statues and a Virgin with the Child in stone. The building remains a significant testimony to the religious and seigneurial history of Normandy.

Outside, the church is distinguished by its square tower pierced with geminous bays, built in the middle of the 19th century under the impulse of the curé of the time. Inside, the choir houses three 17th century wooden statues, including a representative of Saint Aubin, Bishop of Angers and patron saint of the church. These elements, combined with the 18th-century side retables, highlight the richness of the furniture heritage preserved in this building.

The location of the church on the banks of the Tortonne, in the municipality of Saon, makes it a point of historical and tourist interest in Calvados. Its history, marked by medieval donations and modern amenities, reflects the social and religious dynamics of Normandy through the ages. The building, owned by the municipality, continues to play a role in local collective memory.

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