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Origin and history

The Saint-Germain church of Barneville, located in the former commune of Barneville-sur-Mer (now Barneville-Carteret, Manche), is a Catholic religious building founded in the 12th century under the name of Germain d'Auxerre. Its construction is attributed to Roger of Barneville († 1096) or his son Jourdain I († around 1150), which enlarged the village and required the extension of the church. Given to the abbey of Grestain by Robert de Mortain († 1091), half brother of William the Conqueror, she became an ecclesiastical fief piercing rents until the Revolution. Its tower tower, typical of the coastal churches of Cotentin, was fortified in the 14th century during the Hundred Years War.

In 1449, during the reconquest of Normandy by Charles VII, the church served as a refuge for Scottish soldiers resistant to the English. Major reshuffles took place in the 15th (Gothic vaults), 17th (Saint Sebastian Chapel), and especially 19th century (1891-1893), where Abbé Hamelin supervised the partial reconstruction of the nave and choir. The tower, enhanced with mâchicoulis, preserves re-used crow sarcophagus, suggesting a pre-Roman origin. The seigneurial chapel of the Graffards, dedicated to Saint Sebastian, houses stained glass windows illustrating the life of Germain d'Auxerre.

The building, classified as a historic monument in 1906, houses remarkable furniture: an 18th-century high altar, statues of Saint Sebastian (XVIe) and a Virgin with Child (XVIIIe). The choir served as a burial place for the Pitteboult family, lords of Graffard, from the 17th to the 18th century. The six preserved tombstones and funeral inscriptions testify to his social and religious role in the local community. Its rectangular plan, without transept, and its historical Romanesque arches with capitals (Daniel in the lion pit, baptism of Christ) make it a unique example of Norman religious architecture.

The nave, initially covered with a flat frame, was vaulted in a cross of warheads in 1891, while the west porch, rebuilt that same year, imitates the Romanesque style of the north side. The tower, accessible by the fifth span, houses a guard room with fireplace and rifle holes, recalling its defensive use. The lower side, redesigned in the 17th and 19th centuries, preserve medieval elements like a blocked door (1726) reserved for lords. The tithes and patronage rights, shared between the abbot of Grestain and the local lords, illustrate the feudal ties of the church to the Revolution.

The stained glass windows, dedicated to Saint Germain d'Auxerre, and the historically decorated novel capitals (biblical scenes, bestiary) underline its artistic importance. The Gothic triumphal arch, contrasting with the Romanesque capitals, marks the transition between architectural periods. The 19th century works, though controversial for their pastiche style, saved the building of ruin, while partially altering its medieval authenticity. Today, the church remains a major witness to the religious and military history of the Cotentin.

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