Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Denis church of Hodeng-Hodenger, also known as the Notre Dame Chapel, is one of the oldest religious buildings in the Norman region. Originally built in the 11th century as a "single vessel" in opus spicatum, it was enlarged in the 13th century by a transept (south arm) and modified in the 17th and 18th centuries (north arm, semicircular apse and bell tower). Its Latin cross plan, typical of Romanesque churches, preserves traces of 13th century murals, rediscovered in 2011 under a badigeon. The building, classified as Historic Monument in 2016, houses exceptional furniture: altarpieces, statues of the 15th–15th centuries, and Baptist fonts of the 16th century.

The merger of the parishes of Hodeng and Hodenger, effective in 1822 or at the end of the 19th century, marked its administrative history. In 1996, the association Save French Art financed the restoration of its dome (35,000 francs). Major work on the frame, bell tower and roof was planned for 2021. The terracotta floor, the old walled doors, and lime-coated limestone tubing tiles testify to medieval and modern constructive techniques.

The wall paintings, partly dated from the thirteenth century, adorn the nave and arms of the transept. Their recent discovery revealed an unsuspected artistic heritage, completing a classified furnishing complex (master altar, 18th century confessional, 15th-17th century statues). The church, a communal property, illustrates the architectural and liturgical evolution of Normandy, from Romanesque origins to the renovations of the Enlightenment.

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