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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte de Vaucelles, built in the 13th century, is a typical example of Norman medieval religious architecture. Located in the Calvados department, it is distinguished by its simple longitudinal plane and its south-east orientation, characteristic of the churches of the time. Its bell tower, interposed between the nave and the choir as a lantern tower, presents a structure in retreat on three levels, framed by massive foothills. The lancet windows and arches, especially those of the bedside triplet, illustrate the primitive Gothic style.

In the 19th century, notable changes were made: a portal was pierced in the west gable around 1850 on the initiative of the local parish priest, while the north side door of the nave, dating from the 13th century, was moured. The latter, once sheltered by a porch with traces, bears a tympanum decorated with plant motifs (four leaves, clover) and slender capitals typical of the thirteenth century. The choir door, for its part, was already condemned for a long time. A commemorative plaque for the victims of the two world wars was later affixed.

The interior reveals a stone vaulted choir, restored in the 19th century, where a frieze of billets runs along the walls. The altar features a high relief of the Last Supper, while the 17th century baptismal fonts, decorated with cherubim, and a wooden pulpit of the 18th–18th century bear witness to post-medieval additions. The building was listed as historic monuments on May 21, 1927, recognizing its heritage value. His analogies with the nearby church of Barbeville underline his anchoring in the local religious landscape.

The tower, a central element, rises on three levels decorated with arches and a quadrilobed rose. Its bell floor, pierced with arched bays, overlooks a vault higher than that of the choir. The bedside, illuminated by a triplet of lancettes, preserves a 13th century north door, murated before the 19th century, whose trilobed tympanum and carved palmettes recall medieval craftsmanship. These architectural details, combined with subsequent restorations, make the church a witness to stylistic and liturgical evolutions over nearly eight centuries.

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